Concealed Identity finishes strong to win Tesio Stakes
Linda Gaudet and Morris Bailey's Concealed Identity sat off a contested pace, went by the leaders going around the turn and continued home under a hard drive Saturday to win the $75,000 Federico Tesio Stakes, the feature offering for possible Preakness starters at Pimlico Race Course. Sent to post at 7-1 odds under leading jockey Sheldon Russell for trainer Eddie Gaudet, the son of Smarty Jones won by two lengths and completed the 11/16-mile distance in 1 minute, 45.67 seconds. Post-time favorite Ruler On Ice rallied into the picture, then held on to take second by a neck over slow-starting J W Blue. Concealed Identity, who won the second stakes of his eight-race career, captured the Maryland Juvenile Championship in December and came into the Tesio off an impressive allowance score at the distance here April 15. "He ran excellent today," Russell said. "We were very impressed how he ran last time, the first time going two turns. Last time they took the blinkers off him because he only has one eye, and we were able to relax him there and get him into good position early on and he finished so much better. He came home running today and didn't seem like he was slowing down." The 80-year-old Gaudet has been a fixture at the Bowie Training Center for decades. He finished third in the Maryland standings behind King Leatherbury and Dale Capuano for three straight years in the mid-1990s. He won the 1971 Black-Eyed Susan with At Arms Length and took the 1991 General George Handicap (Grade II) with Star Touch. "He has a lot of talent and trained like a good horse," Gaudet said. "He is doing everything right here of late. We are certainly thinking about the Preakness but have to see how he comes out of this one and how crowded the field is going to be. It would be something if we had two Bowie horses in the Preakness." Norman Asbjornson, from Chris Grove's Bowie barn, is also hoping to find his way into the Preakness field May 21. Concealed Identity, who upped his earnings to $120,780 with the win, paid $16.60 and topped a $60 exacta and $141.80 exacta.
