NEWS
MI Developments to offer $2.2-million bonus related to Black-Eyed Susan
Posted: Tuesday, September 07, 2010 1:52 PM
by Ed DeRosa
In a move that could make its Preakness Stakes (G1) weekend at Pimlico Race Course worth more than $9-million in purses and bonuses, MI Developments Inc. has added a Black-Eyed Susan 2.2 promotion to go along with its Preakness 5.5 bonus.
“My hope is that 2011 will be remembered in the sports world as the founding year of a long, successful and profitable tradition of the Preakness 5.5 and the Black-Eyed Susan 2.2,” MI Developments Chief Executive Dennis Mills said. “The Preakness weekend is an important generator of revenue for the Maryland Jockey Club and this program, combined with the Preakness 5.5, should improve racing results across our entire racing portfolio.”
Like the Preakness 5.5, which offers a $5.5-million bonus to the connections of a horse who can sweep designated prep races at MI Developments tracks as well as the Preakness, the Black-Eyed Susan 2.2 offers a $2.2-million bonus to the connections of a three-year-old filly who can win a series of prep races at MI Developments tracks before winning the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2).
Unlike the Preakness 5.5, which offers a sort of choose-your-own-adventure format of stringing together prep wins to qualify for the bonus, the Black-Eyed Susan requires a pair of wins in any number of races before victories in both the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) and Black-Eyed Susan.
The Preakness 5.5 requires three victories to obtain the bonus; the Black-Eyed Susan 2.2 requires four with two wins prior to the Gulfstream Park Oaks-Black-Eyed Susan double.
West Coast fillies must win the Las Virgenes Stakes (G1) on February 5 at Santa Anita Park, the California Oaks on January 1 at Golden Gate Fields, or the Portland Meadows Oaks on January 29 at Portland Meadows before going on to win the Santa Anita Oaks (G1), Gulfstream Park Oaks, and Black-Eyed Susan.
East Coast fillies must win three races at Gulfstream—the Forward Gal Stakes (G2) on January 29, the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) on February 26, and the Gulfstream Park Oaks on April 2—and the Black-Eyed Susan to qualify for the bonus.
In a promotion similar to its Preakness 5.5 consolation prize, XpressBet will offer $220,000 in consolation money to the connections of a filly who wins one of the preliminary races and the Black-Eyed Susan but places in either the Santa Anita or Gulfstream Park Oaks.
AmTote will offer a $50,000 bonus to a jockey who wins a qualifying race, competes in at least one additional qualifying race, and wins the Black-Eyed Susan. MI Developments owns both XpressBet and AmTote.
The Maryland Jockey Club, which Penn National Gaming Inc. bought into earlier this year, also has increased the purse of the Black-Eyed Susan to $250,000.
“We have worked hard to take Black-Eyed Susan day to the next level, and this promotion, in conjunction with the enhanced purse, will increase the amount of excitement,” Maryland Jockey Club President Tom Chuckas said. “We are eagerly anticipating May at Pimlico with the Preakness 5.5 and Black-Eyed Susan 2.2 boosting what is already a blockbuster weekend.”
Ed DeRosa is news editor of Thoroughbred Times
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Mike, Portland, OR on September 24, 2010 at 11:37 AM
Can someone please explain this a little mpre. We are confused a bit. Lets say you take a filly to Portland Meadows and win the oaks there. Then do you have to win BOTH the SA Oaks AND Gulfstream Oaks before trying to win the Blackeyed Susan or can u win EITHER the SA Oaks or the Gulfstream Oaks and then the BE Susan?
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