A patient ride and a powerful late burst carried Peach Tie to another notable success at Laurel Park on Saturday, as the Brittany Russell-trained filly swept from last to first to win the Grade 3 Miss Preakness by 1½ lengths on Black-Eyed Susan Day.
The six-furlong contest for three-year-old fillies formed part of a packed 14-race programme at Laurel Park and opened a sequence of six stakes races on the card. With the leaders setting a strong early pace, Peach Tie settled comfortably at the rear before producing a sustained rally around the far turn under Sheldon Russell.
Miss Preakness 2026 result.
Little Miss Curlin and Lights Out Leni disputed the lead through an opening quarter in 22.04 seconds, while Tessellate tracked closely behind in third. The half-mile was completed in 46.13 seconds as Tessellate moved three wide approaching the stretch and briefly looked the likely winner.
Peach Tie, however, had travelled smoothly throughout. Sheldon Russell angled her off the rail midway on the bend and gradually built momentum down the centre of the track. Once she changed leads in the stretch, the filly quickened decisively, running past Tessellate in the closing stages to stop the clock in 1:11.87 on a fast main track.
Tessellate held second comfortably, finishing 3¾ lengths ahead of Little Miss Curlin in third. Lights Out Leni and Getting Closer completed the field, while Late Night Text and Victory Music were withdrawn before the race.
The victory continued an outstanding record at Laurel Park for Peach Tie, who is now a four-time winner from five starts at the Maryland venue and unbeaten in three runs at six furlongs. Bred and owned by the Estate of Brereton C. Jones, the filly has now won six of her eight career starts, including previous stakes victories in the Gin Talking Stakes and Wide Country Stakes earlier this year.
Trainer Brittany Russell praised both the filly’s determination and the measured ride delivered by her husband Sheldon Russell.
“She ran great. The race set up great for her,” Russell said after the race. “I think Sheldon gave her a beautiful trip, and I think she was pretty gritty to run her down.”
Russell added that Peach Tie’s return to sprinting had suited her strengths after previous attempts over longer distances.
“We tried to stretch her out, and I think she’s a tough filly and handles everything we threw at her, but I think ultimately she’s a sprinter. This filly’s done everything right from the beginning,” she said.
For Sheldon Russell, the performance highlighted the filly’s adaptability and determination under pressure.
“She’s small but she’s mighty,” he said. “They probably went a little faster than what she’s used to running against, but she was always travelling comfortably. Once she changed leads, she really ran on strongly. She’s got a big heart and she loves to win.”
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was satisfied with the effort of runner-up Tessellate, who briefly appeared set for victory turning for home.
“We got a good trip, she ran well, second best, can’t complain,” Joseph said. “At the quarter pole, it looked like she was going to win, but the winner had a stronger kick late.”
Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard Tessellate, also felt his mount travelled smoothly throughout before being caught late by the eventual winner.
Meanwhile, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen offered a concise assessment of Little Miss Curlin’s third-place finish, saying simply: “Expected to win and we didn’t.”
The Miss Preakness 2026 result further strengthened Peach Tie’s growing reputation among the leading sprint fillies of her generation and provided another important stakes success for Brittany Russell’s Laurel Park stable.
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