Black-Eyed Susan Stakes


The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of miles on the dirt annually at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The event currently offers a purse of $250,000

History

The event was inaugurated in 1919 as the Pimlico Oaks and was renamed in 1952 to its present name to complement the Preakness Stakes and to acknowledge the Maryland State flower. The inaugural edition was won by Milkmaid who went on to earn United States Champion 3-Yr-Old Filly honors. Milkmaid's owner J. K. L. Ross had a very good 1919 racing campaign, also winning the first U.S. Triple Crown with the colt Sir Barton.
The Black-Eyed Susan was given graded stakes race status in 1973.
Twenty-three fillies that won The Black-Eyed Susan went on to be named a Champion according to the Maryland Jockey Club, those fillies include; Royal Delta, Silverbulletday, Serena's Song, Family Style, Davona Dale, What a Summer, My Juliet, Office Queen, Process Shot, Airmans Guide, High Voltage, Real Delight, Wistful III, But Why Not, Gallorette, Twilight Tear, Vagrancy, Fairy Chant, Nellie Morse, Maid at Arms, Careful, Cleopatra and Milkmaid.
Davona Dale is the only filly to win the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, Kentucky Oaks, Acorn Stakes, Mother Goose Stakes, and Coaching Club American Oaks. Nellie Morse is the only winner to also win the Preakness Stakes.

Filly Triple Crown

In its 95th running as of 2019, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is one of three races that are the de facto distaff counterparts to the Triple Crown races, along with the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs and the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park. These races have been unofficially referred to as the "Filly Triple Crown." Three races run at Belmont and Saratoga Race Course in New York are also called the Triple Tiara to avoid trademark conflicts. However, consideration has been given within the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the sport's governing body in the United States, to change the Triple Tiara series to the Kentucky Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and the Mother Goose Stakes.

Records

Speed record:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Notes:


† Smart N Pretty won the 2006 race but was disqualified from first place for interference.


The 16 fillies whose name appear in Bold were named either American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly or American Champion Older Female Horse and in cases they were named Champion in both divisions.