Gun Song got the drop on pacesetter Jeanne Maire out of the turn and carried the tune to the Black-Eyed Susan wire Friday evening at Pimlico Race Course.  Her convincing in the Grade 2 fixture did not surprise a comfortable crowd at Old Hilltop: her odds dropped from her 9-2 morning line to 2.30-1 as the gates opened, and she went off favored.

The trainee of Mark Hennig gained favorite status from the fourth morning line choice despite finishing fourth, over seven lengths behind the winner in her last start in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) in her first attempt at two-turns. She chased a much faster pace early on. that day 

In the 100^th running of the Black-Eyed Susan, run at 1 1/8 miles for a purse of $300,000, going a mile and an eighth, jockey John Velazquez rated on the outside of Jeanne Marie, who set modest opening fractions in 24.20 and 49.47, nearly two seconds slower than the pace in the Gulfstream Park Oaks. Little changed from the onset of the race going up the backstretch including the pace.

“I was a little concerned of me taking too much hold of her,” Velazquez said.  “I didn’t want to do that, but they were going slow.”

After going six furlongs in 1:13.66, Velazquez waited just a few moments longer before taking charge.

“Once I put my hands down at the 3/8ths pole, she was relaxed and when I asked her at the quarter pole, she responded nice to me,” he continued.  “She is the kind of horse that waits, and I wanted to make sure to keep her mind running.”

Around the turn, Gun Song was waiting for her cue and Velazquez dropped his hands as they straightened for home.  He didn’t have to do much more.  With a powerful run she won by 3 1/4 lengths with minimal urging in the final time of 1:51.39.

“I could have taken the lead anytime I wanted to, but I didn’t want to go to the lead too soon so I waited until the quarter pole and let her do it then,” the rider said.

Corposo finished second, a neck better than Call Another Play in third.  Whocouldaskformo completed the superfecta followed by Lemon Muffin, Ringy Dingy, Jeannie Marie and Recharge.

Gun Song paid $6.60 to win, and the exacta, with two likely contenders first and second, paid $10.70 for a one-dollar wager. Gun Song has won three of six career starts, and the winner’s share pushed her bankroll past $311,000.

“Turning for home I could see she was pretty strong,” said winning trainer Mark Hennig.  “Other than her last race, she always finishes very well.  In my heart, I felt she was a good horse. I had a little doubt about the distance after her last race, but I didn’t have enough doubt not to try this.”

Gun Song, sired by Gun Runner out of the mare Nicole H., by Mr. Greeley, was a $400,000 purchase by R. Lee Lewis in the Ocala Two-Year Old in Training Sale in March of 2023.  Marianne Stribing bred the three-year old filly, whose sire was elected to the Racing Hall of Fame earlier this year. 

The Black-Eyed Susan could be the restart of a beautiful friendship for owner Lee Lewis and Hennig, considering they met forty years ago when Hennig was a D. Wayne Lukas assistant. Hennig refocused his efforts for Lewis using Phil Hager as a bloodstock agent to improve bloodstock. 

“He stepped up, and I think we have a really nice group of babies coming up too,” the trainer said.  

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