
May 17th, 2012

Horse Racing News | Racing Post

Hymn Book: bids to confirm Donn Handicap placings with Mission Impazible
PICTURE: EquiSport Photos/Joe Ganley
Preview: USA, Friday 10.51pm BST
Pimlico: Pimlico Special (Grade 3) 1m1½f, dirt, 3yo+
ONCE regarded as one of the foremost races on the calendar, the Pimlico Special makes a welcome return after a four-year hiatus with a solid field of older horses on Friday.
Reduced to Grade 3 status after its break amid financial concerns at the home of the Preakness Stakes, a race once graced by Seabiscuit, Whirlaway and Citation makes its comeback thanks to the introduction of slot machines in various Maryland venues.
The resulting $300,000 purse has attracted several Grade 1 performers to Baltimore in a competitive field for the Special featuring several horses who met in last month’s valuable Oaklawn Handicap.
Alternation (Donnie von Hemel/Luis Quinonez) completed a hat-trick with a clear victory in that Grade 2 event, where Friday’s rivals Yawanna Twist and Hymn Book were third and fourth, with last year’s Kentucky Derby runner-up Nehro further back in sixth.
Hymn Book (Shug McGaughey/John Velazquez) had broken through at the top level on his previous outing when he touched off Mission Impazible in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream in February.
The consistent Mission Impazible (Todd Pletcher/Javier Castellano), second on his last three starts, has a 7lb pull here as he gets a useful 6lb from both Hymn Book and Alternation. He doesn’t win as often as he should, though.
Endorsement (Eoin Harty/Martin Garcia) ships in from California after returning in good form following a long layoff with an ankle fracture.
Toby’s Corner (Graham Motion/Eddie Castro) is also on the comeback trail after injury and has yet to recover the form that saw him beat Uncle Mo in last year’s Wood Memorial. He breaks from the rail in a competitive event.
Also on Friday
Pimlico: Black-Eyed Susan (Grade 2) 1m1f, dirt, 3yo fillies (9.46pm BST)
Morning-line favourite here is the unbeaten Mamma Kimbo (Bob Baffert/Mike Smith), all-the-way winner of the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn on her most recent outing.
She could face front-end pressure from In Lingerie (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez), a six-length winner of the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks last time out on the all-weather at Turfway.
She is joined by her Pletcher-trained stablemate Disposablepleasure(Javier Castellano), who was third to subsequent Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can last time out at Fair Grounds.
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