by Tom Law

Sweet Vendetta, a lightly raced filly co-bred and co-owned by entertainer David Cassidy, encountered little trouble on the muddy Pimlico Race Course main track on Friday and sprang a mild upset in the $200,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2).

Ridden by Channing Hill for trainer Gary Contessa, Sweet Vendetta won the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan by 1 1/2 lengths from Shes All Eltish with Seattle Smooth another three-quarters of a length back in third. Final time was 1:49.60 on a muddy track.

The Black-Eyed Susan was Sweet Vendetta’s first start since the Andover Way Stakes on March 19 at Aqueduct, a one-mile and 70-yard race she won by four lengths but also a race in which she bled from the nostrils. Treated with Lasix for each of her seven career starts, Sweet Vendetta did not bleed in the Black-Eyed Susan and benefited from a confident ride by Hill to record her first career graded stakes win.

“I loved the mile-and-an-eighth for her, I knew she was a natural for this distance,” Contessa said. “And when the heavens opened up [last night] it was icing on the cake. But she’s not just a mud horse.”

The victory in the Andover Way came in the slop, and overnight rains Thursday and for the early portion of Friday’s program put plenty of moisture in the track. A New York-bred filly by Stephen Got Even, Sweet Vendetta had finished second to eventual Ashland Stakes (G1) winner Little Belle in her previous effort in the Busher Stakes over the inner dirt track at Aqueduct.

The Zayat Stables entry of Sherine and Pious Ashley took the early initiative, with the former setting the pace on an easy lead through splits of :23.65 and :47.62. Hill was content to allow Sweet Vendetta to settle in sixth position through the opening portion, around the far turn, and into the backstretch. Hill stayed on the rail up the backstretch, angled out on the turn, and launched a prolonged bid while four wide entering the stretch.

Garrett Gomez opened up a 2 1/2-length lead in midstretch aboard Shes All Eltish and looked like a winner in deep stretch before Sweet Vendetta continued to close strongly under Hill’s urging.

“I really had a good feeling about this race today, and when she swung wide I had a great feeling,” Contessa said.

The victory was also sweet for Cassidy, who bred the filly in partnership with Edward Tipton. Sold for $30,000 earlier this year at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale to dissolve a partnership between Tipton and Cassidy, Sweet Vendetta has won three of seven career starts and earned $206,596.

Team Penney Racing was listed as the buyer of Sweet Vendetta at Keeneland January and she raced in the name of Team Penny and Cassidy in the Black-Eyed Susan.

“This is probably the best filly the mare [Sand Pirate] has had,” Cassidy said. “Unfortunately I sold the mare, but I do own a half sister. With Sweet Vendetta I always believed she’d be a good three-year-old. And honestly, as a breeder, this is one of my greatest thrills.”

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Tom Law is managing editor of Thoroughbred Times