Goodonehoney breezes towards possible Black-Eyed Susan date
Goodonehoney in the Weber City Miss. Photo by Laurie Asseo.
From a Maryland Jockey Club release
Having already earned an automatic berth into the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 18 at legendary Pimlico Race Course, undefeated 3-year-old filly Goodonehoney put in a five-furlong work Friday morning at Laurel Park.
With regular rider Steve ‘Cowboy’ Hamilton up for trainer Jason Egan, Goodonehoney completed the distance in 1:01.20 over a fast main track in her first breeze following a runaway victory in Laurel’s Weber City Miss Stakes April 21.
The Weber City Miss was a ‘Win and You’re In’ event for the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan, one of the country’s premier stakes for sophomore fillies to be run for the 94th time. Since the first edition in 1919, when it was known as the Pimlico Oaks, its roster of winners have included 10 Eclipse Award champions as well as Hall of Famer Nellie Morse, the only filly to also win the Preakness (1924).
“I thought she went really well. She was a little bit aggressive but that’s pretty typical for her. She’s real enthusiastic about working and racing as you’ve probably seen from her two runs,” Egan said. “She had a good gallop-out and she’s strong and feeling happy. It was maybe a touch more than we were hoping for but she’s happy and that’s just her. She loves her job … so we’re happy.”
The Black-Eyed Susan will mark the graded-stakes debut for Goodonehoney, bred in Maryland by Bob Krangel’s Kasey K Racing Stable, which co-owns the bay Great Notion filly with Final Turn Racing Stable and Michael Day.
Goodonehoney opened her career with a 4 ¾-length triumph going six furlongs in a waiver maiden claiming race March 24 at Laurel. She was stretched out to about 1 1/16 miles for the Weber City Miss, took the lead after a half-mile in 46.76 seconds and went on to win by seven lengths in 1:43.49.
“Obviously it was pretty impressive to jump from a maiden win to do what she did, not only first time winners but going from a sprint to two turns in a stake. I was very impressed. Since that race she’s been very happy. She came out of the race really well,” Egan said. “We asked a lot of her going into the Weber City to make all the changes that we made. We expect the Black-Eyed Susan to be an even better group.
“We’re not necessarily afraid to get beat if she’s giving us the indications over the next week and a half that she deserves that shot and wants that shot; we’re game to go,” he added. “It’s asking a lot of her for a horse that’s only made two starts to be in a race with the prestige and the history of the Black-Eyed Susan. We’re optimistic and we’re excited but we expect it to be a tough group. Horses don’t typically do what we’re asking her to do, but she might be that good.”
To date the connections have resisted multiple offers to sell Goodonehoney, the first foal out of the Tenpins dam Diva’s Gold, whom Kasey K claimed for $15,000 at Monmouth Park in 2010 and went on to be multiple stakes-placed and earn nearly $400,000.
“We got offers after both her races. We got a few offers after her first race and we got a few more after the stake. Right now there’s no intention to sell,” Egan said. “I can’t say that it would never happen but I think the [owners] are all a pretty tight-knit group and I think they’d just kind of like to enjoy the ride together for a while.”
