Awesome Aaron upsets Pimlico Special; Candied delivers in Allaire du Pont

A runaway winner of a conditioned Oaklawn Park allowance in his previous outing, Awesome Aaron carried his improving form forward in Friday’s $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) at Pimlico, surging from just off the pace to overhaul Phileas Fogg and score by about a length. Norm Casse trains the reformed claimer, and John Velazquez picked up the mount on the 7-1 fourth choice in the 1 3/16-mile race. 

Awesome Aaron was timed in 1:56.67.

Haltered for a $40,000 claiming tag from a win at Churchill Downs last September, Awesome Aaron had raced exclusively under allowance conditions in his six previous outings, finishing a neck second in mid-March before his aforementioned allowance triumph on April 12, and his record now reads 34-6-3-6. Turman Racing Stable and AJ Suited Racing Stable campaign the six-year-old bay gelding.

Phileas Fogg, the 5-2 second choice, closely stalked Encino through opening splits in :23.26, :47.17, and 1:11.25, racing a couple of lengths ahead of Awesome Aaron in third, and drove to a clear lead leaving the far turn. Awesome Aaron found his best stride after straightening for home, rallying to the lead in deep stretch and edging away late. 

Awesome Aaron is a Kentucky-bred son of Practical Joke.

Phileas Fogg held second by three-quarters of a length over 19-10 favorite Star of Wonder, who was followed by San Siro, Catalaya Strike, Time for Trouble, Encino, Just Steel, and Red Route One.

In the $125,000 Allaire du Pont Distaff, Candied wasn’t pretty angling in and out through the stretch, but she convincingly got the job done as the odds-on favorite, driving to a three-length decision in the 1 1/8-mile test for fillies and mares. Irad Ortiz Jr. was up on the four-year-old daughter of Candy Ride, and Todd Pletcher conditions for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bobby Flay.

The juvenile Grade 1 winner snapped a five-race losing skein, placing in four consecutive Grade 1 events, including a third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), before opening 2025 with a third in the April 18 Doubledogdare (G3) at Keeneland. Now a three-time stakes winner, Candied took advantage of the class relief in a six-horse du Pont Distaff, rating off the pace in fourth during the opening stages and launching her bid on the far turn.

She swung wide into the stretch and, after overhauling pacesetter Dazzling Move, Candied was angled toward the rail by Ortiz while still racing on her left lead. Ortiz attempted to straighten her up late as Candied extended her margin approaching the wire, and the bay filly stopped the teletimer in 1:50.47.

Dazzling Move, the 17-10 second choice, wound up second, 1 1/2 lengths better than late-running Regaled. Peignoir, Lemon Muffin, and Miss Hebrides rounded out the order.

Bred in Kentucky by Buck Pond, Candied sold for $165,000 as a yearling at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale. She’s out of the stakes-winning Roaring Fever mare Toni Tools, and Candied improved her career mark to 11-4-2-4.