Ickymasho Ultra-Impressive in Searching

BALTIMORE, MD – Triton Stable’s Ickymasho ran so well that she could have made another lap and still won with the same ease that she did in Saturday’s $100,000 Searching Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.

Breaking from post 5 under Jose Ortiz as the 1/2 favorite, Ickymasho quickly established command and was allowed to stroll through unpressured fractions of :25.15, :51.62, 1:17.18, and 1:41.91. Still unchallenged as the field hit the top of the stretch, Ickymasho began to draw away with every step. The Roger Attfield trainee waltzed across the line with an easy 3 1/4-length advantage in a final time of 2:29.58 for the 1 1/2-mile marathon event over the firm turf course.

“She was the favorite, and she can handle the distance, which is a big battle in these long races,” said Ortiz, who also won the James W. Murphy Stakes on the turf two races earlier. “This horse can handle it. I rode her with a lot of confidence. She relaxed well in the lead, and when I asked her to run, she responded well. It was very easy. The whole way around was very comfortable.”

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California shipper Vevina went last to second in the far turn to prove much the best of the rest, finishing 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Homeland Security in third. Peach of a Gal, Layla Noor, and So Innocent completed the order of finish.

Osare, Violet Blue, and Coachwhip were all trainer scratches.

Ickymasho’s win was her second straight after taking Keeneland’s Bewitch Stakes (G3) on April 26 under Ortiz. The 7-year-old British-bred daughter of Multiplex improved her lifetime record to 40-10-11-4 with $343,403 earned.

“After she won the Bewitched, we were planning on waiting and running her at Woodbine,” said Triton Stable’s Joe Miller. “She was doing so well, though; she was acting like she wanted to run. Roger Attfield is a big believer in taking advantage of that. It was his call to run her here, and it was the right one.”

Ickymasho returned $3 to win, $2.20 to place, and $2.10 to show. Vevina brought back $4 to place and $2.60 to show, while Homeland Security paid $2.20 to show.