George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes


The George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of miles on the dirt annually at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The event currently offers a purse of $300,000.

History

The event was inaugurated in 1919 as the Pimlico Oaks. The inaugural edition was won by Milkmaid who went on to earn United States Champion 3-Yr-Old Filly honors. Milkmaid's owner J. K. L. Ross had a very good 1919 racing campaign, also winning the first U.S. Triple Crown with the colt Sir Barton.
The Pimlico Oaks was renamed in 1952 to the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes to acknowledge the state flower of Maryland. The Black-Eyed Susan was given graded stakes race status in 1973.
Twenty-three fillies that won The Black-Eyed Susan went on to be named a Champion according to the Maryland Jockey Club, those fillies include; Royal Delta, Silverbulletday, Serena's Song, Family Style, Davona Dale, What a Summer, My Juliet, Office Queen, Process Shot, Airmans Guide, High Voltage, Real Delight, Wistful III, But Why Not, Gallorette, Twilight Tear, Vagrancy, Fairy Chant, Nellie Morse, Maid at Arms, Careful, Cleopatra and Milkmaid.
Davona Dale is the only filly to win the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, Kentucky Oaks, Acorn Stakes, Mother Goose Stakes, and Coaching Club American Oaks. Nellie Morse is the only winner to also win the Preakness Stakes.
In August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic it was announced that the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes would be run on the undercard of the Preakness Stakes, which had been moved to October. Shortly before the race was run in 2020 it was renamed to honor the late George E. Mitchell, a longtime community leader in the Park Heights neighborhood.

Filly Triple Crown

In its 100th running for 2024, the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is one of three races that are the de facto distaff counterparts to the Triple Crown races, along with the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs and the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park. These races have been unofficially referred to as the "Filly Triple Crown." Three races run at Belmont and Saratoga Race Course in New York are also called the Triple Tiara to avoid trademark conflicts. However, consideration has been given within the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the sport's governing body in the United States, to change the Triple Tiara series to the Kentucky Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and the Mother Goose Stakes.

Records

Speed record:
  • 1- miles - 1:47.83 - Silverbulletday
  • 1- miles - 1:41 2/5 - Lucky Lucky Lucky
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:

Winners

Notes:


† Smart N Pretty won the 2006 race but was disqualified from first place for interference.


The 16 fillies whose name appear in Bold were named either American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly or American Champion Older Female Horse and in cases they were named Champion in both divisions.