Rombauer scored upset win in Preakness - Fifth Grade One winner for Twirling Candy
The Michael McCarthy-trained Rombauer (3 c Twirling Candy - Cashmere by Cowboy Cal) ran out a three and half length victory in the Preakness Stakes (Gr 1, 9.5f) at Pimlico on Saturday to give his sire his fifth Grade One winner.
Rambauer was last seen finishing third in the Blue Grass Stakes (Gr 2, 9f and his connections elected to bypass the Kentucky Derby (Gr 1, 10f) in preference for a tilt at the Preakness Stakes. Rombauer settled down in sixth position between runners and closed strongly in the straight drawing right away to score impressively over second favourite Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) with a further two lengths back to Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico).
"It's pretty special," said owner and breeder John Fradkin. "It's a pedigree update that'll be there for a long time for a lot of broodmares. Yeah, we're very proud.
"Rombauer's running style is not conducive to what's been winning the Kentucky Derby lately.
"The Preakness is usually an easier spot since you get the Derby winner and only a few others from there. If he ran in the Derby, he would have gotten hot and dirty and not earned any money and probably missed the Preakness.
“I feel when you have a good stakes horse, and he's going to run the best race ever, you want to earn some money and he had a much better chance of doing that here than in the Derby."
Rombauer is out of an unraced half-sister to Grade Three winner California Flag (Avenue Of Flags). This is also the family of Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy).
Connections have said that the winner is a 50-50 chance to contest the Belmont Stakes (Gr 1, 10f).
ROMBAUER HAS WON THE @PreaknessStakes!
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 15, 2021
Rombauer passed Medina Spirit and Midnight Bourbon in the stretch at @PimlicoRC! pic.twitter.com/sfQmuO1Qjc
96 & 97th stakes winners for Into Mischief
Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday) sired two new sakes winners on Saturday when Mighty Mischief (3 c ex Wealth Creation by Super Saver) won the Chick Lang Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at Pimlico and Bye Bye (3 f ex Garnet by Smart Strike) won the Soaring Softly Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) at Belmont Park to his tally of stakes winners to 97 worldwide.
