Jockey Chris Emigh took one look at the scratches for the $100,000 Adena Stallions’ Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) on Friday at Pimlico Race Course and figured the race was his to lose aboard William Stritz’s Palanka City.

As it turned out, Emigh was spot on with that assessment.

Palanka City, fresh off a pair of wins at Oaklawn Park after a distant fourth-place effort behind the ill-fated Eight Belles in the Martha Washington Stakes there, came from off the pace to post a 5 1/2-length victory in the six-furlong Miss Preakness.

“When I saw that scratch [of the Todd Pletcher-trained Passion] I said, ‘this has got to be all me,’ “ said Emigh, who has ridden the three-year-old Carson City filly in all five of her starts this season for trainer Terry Gestes. “I just sat on her for as long as I could. I hit her once and she really responded.”

Casanova Killer, the runner-up in the field of five reduced by the scratch of La Habra Stakes (G3) winner Passion and listed stakes winner Hadavision, set an uncontested pace of :22.93 and :46.16 and still looked like a winner in midstretch with Palanka City in second.

Emigh asked the question inside the furlong marker and got the same response Palanka City showed in a six-furlong allowance win on March 2 and a four-length score in the six-furlong Prima Donna Stakes on April 11 at Oaklawn.

The 1-to-2 favorite was quickly opened up in deep stretch and was well clear under the wire in 1:10.90 on the muddy track. Beau’s Valentine, badly outrun in the early stages, was another 4 3/4 lengths back in third.

“She was a bit nervy today and she’s not usually like that,” said Gestes, who was winless in his previous two starts in graded stakes events. “Turning for home I was a little bit [concerned], but I was hoping she’d re-break and she did.”

Bred by Overbrook Farm, Palanka City is out of the Storm Bird mare Indian Sunset. The Miss Preakness was her fifth win from ten career starts and boosted her career earnings to $173,000.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)