Twelve 3-year-old filles contested the Grade 3, $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes Friday at Pimlico, run at six furlongs. Mystic Lake, the 5-1 4th choice in the wagering, bested her rivals in gate-to-wire fashion by 4 1/2 lengths. The Florida-bred daughter of Mo Town out of the Itsmyluckyday mare Salty Soul covered the six furlongs in 1:11.40 on a fast main track.

Jockey Flavien Prat, aboard Mystic Lake for the first time in her ninth career start, took advantage of the filly’s early speed from the rail, hustling her quick from the gate, gaining an early one-and-one-half length advantage over her closest pursuer, Launch (3-1), who was followed a half-length further back by the quartet of Miss Harriett (40-1), Youalmosthadme (favored at 2-1), Carmelina (9-1) and Lady Moscato (5-1).

Mystic Lake threw down swift early fractions of 23.09 and 46.44.

“She jumped very well and got an early good position,” Prat explained, “She always runs forward, obviously. Here it was the 1-hole. You’ve got to break well, she did, and it turned out well.”

Taking advantage of her railing hugging trip, the Saffie Joseph, Jr. trainee maintained her clear lead seemingly doing it on her own with just a tad bit of urging as she entered the Old Hilltop stretch. Upon reaching the eighth pole, Prat then set his mount down for the drive, and she responded by extending her lead at the wire by four-and-one-half lengths returning.

Mystic Lake paid $13.60 to win. The exacta, with the favorite in second, returned $25.20 for a one-dollar wager. Youalmosthadme was 1 1/4 lengths clear of show horse Discreet Ops, who was a nose better than Cap Classique.

The game plan was simple according to trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., “Her strategy is to go to the lead and go as far as she can and as fast as she can,” he said. “That is her strategy; there are no two ways about it. We were facing some good horses today and we were going to get a class test. She showed up, big time.”

The victory in the $150,000 Grade 3 Miss Preakness was Mystic Lake’s fourth in nine career outings and third in stakes company. She increased her lifetime earnings to $291,554.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST OFF TO THE RACES RADIO!