Peach Tie rallies to win Miss Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park

Peach Tie turned Laurel Park into another Russell family showcase, rallying from the back of the field to win the 41st Miss Preakness Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths on a fast main track. The 3-year-old filly covered six furlongs in 1:11.87 and paid $16.60 to win, giving trainer Brittany Russell and rider Sheldon Russell a signature Black-Eyed Susan Day result on a 14-race card with six stakes worth $1.05 million.

The win mattered because it was not just another local score. It was Peach Tie’s first graded stakes victory, and it confirmed the decision to bring her back to sprinting after a mile attempt in the Beyond the Wire Stakes left her a head short. Brittany Russell had spent time stretching the daughter of Preservationist, but the cutback to six furlongs unlocked the version of Peach Tie that keeps showing up at Laurel: fast enough to recover from a slow start, patient enough to wait out the pace, and powerful enough to finish through traffic. After breaking slowly, she was last and about seven lengths behind after an opening quarter in :22.04, then Sheldon Russell guided her into a stalking position before swinging her wide for the stretch run.

That late-running style is now part of her identity. Peach Tie improved to 6 wins from 8 starts, is 3-for-3 at six furlongs and 4-for-5 lifetime at Laurel Park, and pushed her career earnings to $339,995. She had already won the Gin Talking Stakes on Dec. 27 and the Wide Country Stakes on Feb. 21, both at seven furlongs, and this victory added a new layer to her résumé because it came in graded company and at the distance that fits her best.

The result also fit the bigger Preakness weekend picture in Maryland. With Preakness 2026 being staged at Laurel Park while Pimlico Race Course undergoes redevelopment, the meeting has become a showcase for horses that can handle the home track and the pressure that comes with it. For the Russells, Peach Tie’s rally was another reminder that their barn can deliver when the spotlight is biggest. Brittany Russell also recorded her second win of the day, while Sheldon Russell was still set to ride Taj Mahal in the 151st Preakness Stakes the next day.

Peach Tie, bred in Kentucky by the Estate of Brereton C. Jones and owned by the same estate, added a personal layer to the victory. Tessellate finished second, 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Little Miss Curlin, with Lights Out Leni and Getting Closer completing the field after Late Night Text and Victory Music were scratched. In a weekend built around Maryland racing’s new center of gravity, Peach Tie gave Laurel another horse to remember.