Interstatedaydream Earns DuPont Distaff Victory

For the second straight year, Interstatedaydream (4f Classic Empire x Babcock, by Uncle Mo) visited the Pimlico winner’s circle on Preakness weekend when she won the Listed Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes.

Going over the same 1 1/8 miles that saw her win last year’s Grade II Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, the filly was the early leader going into the first turn with Uncle Mo’s Falconet keeping her honest. Interstatedaydream showed why she went off as favorite when galloping relaxed down the backstretch with Florent Geroux finally asking her for more around the far turn.

Interstatedaydream was pushed all the way down the stretch but refused to give in to her rival and won by half a length for her fifth win in 10 starts.

"She showed a lot of heart today, especially the last furlong,” Geroux said. “I didn't feel like we were going super-fast. But it was pretty legitimate fractions. It looked like (Misty Veil) took a swing at me. I switched my stick. But when my filly looked at her in the eye, she gave me another gear the last sixteenth of a mile."

The $175,000 OBS purchase by racing owner Flurry Racing Stable has only finished off the board in one of her starts when a close fourth in last month’s Grade III Doubledogdare Stakes. Trained by Brad Cox, her earnings now sit at $604,069.

Interstatedaydream is a half-sister to multiple stakes placed Emmeline out of an Uncle Mo half-sister to Canadian Horse of the Year Uncaptured and stakes winner Dancing Raven. This family also includes three-time Grade I winner Curalina with 13 stakes performers in all under Interstatedaydream’s first three dams.

The sire of Grade I winning Angel of Empire this year, Classic Empire’s four stakes winners in 2023 is fifth best of all third crop sires with only he and studmate Practical Joke having 2023 Grade I winners among the horses in their class.