Taking on older runners in a jam-packed field on a jam-packed Preakness Day, Dark Hollow Farm’s 3-year-old filly JOY made all her supporters smile with a rousing stretch run over the Pimlico turf on Saturday, May 18.

The chestnut filly trained by Graham Motion loved the feel of the firm sod beneath her feet, rallying from more than nine lengths off the pace and cruising home to win by two and three-quarters lengths in the $52,000 allowance. Her time was a solid 1:41.74 for the mile and a sixteenth. Hall of Famer Edgar Prado, the former Maryland leading rider who went on to even greater fame and glory, was aboard for the ride. Somewhat overlooked in the betting, JOY returned $10.80 to win.

From the family of Dark Hollow’s legendary foundation mare SAFELY HOME, the Pure Prize filly is the first foal for the winning Flatter mare SAFE JOURNEY, who is out of stakes-placed $114,923-earner Safe At the Plate. A half-sister to Eclipse Award-winning sprinter and Breeders’ Cup Sprint-G1 winner SAFELY KEPT,  a member of the National Racing Hall of Fame, Safe At the Plate is also the dam of graded stakes-placed runners Cognac Kisses ($178,094) and Kettle Won ($113,606) and $361,313-earner Glide Home.