Red Ruby Wins Black-Eyed Susan Stakes 2018; Favorite Coach Rocks Takes 2nd

Red Ruby triumphed in the 2018 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Friday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Morning-line favorite Coach Rocks took an early lead and maintained an advantage for most of the race, but Red Ruby surged around the final turn and pulled away late for the win. Coach Rocks held on for second and Indy Union finished third.

Kentucky Oaks winner Monomoy Girl didn't compete in the 94th running of the Second Jewel of the Filly Triple Crown.

Although Coach Rocks rushed out to the front, she was forced to expend a lot of energy to beat the field to the first turn.

The strategy ended up helping Red Ruby, who was able to settle comfortably into second for the duration of the backstretch. That allowed her to keep extra energy in the tank and it showed as she burst ahead as the field turned for home and the filly never looked back en route to a five-length win.

NBC Sports highlighted the stretch run:

Red Ruby picks up her third win in five career starts. It's also a strong bounce-back performance after she finished fourth in the Grade III Honeybee Stakes in March.

Meanwhile, it's the second straight disappointment for Coach Rocks, who finished seventh in the Kentucky Oaks two weeks ago. She emerged as a potential threat in the Filly Triple Crown conversation with a win in March's Gulfstream Park Oaks but has come up short so far on the big stage.

Monomoy Girl is expected to return for the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park next month to close out the Triple Crown schedule. It's unclear whether there will be a head-to-head battle with Red Ruby, though.

For now, the focus of the American horse racing world now shifts to Saturday's Preakness Stakes. Kentucky Derby champion Justify headlines the eight-horse field at Pimlico as he looks to move within the one victory of winning the Triple Crown.