Fulmineo relishes soft going to win James W. Murphy S.

Bolt d’Oro’s 3-year-old colt Fulmineo charged to the lead at the top of the stretch on his way to a 2 ¼-length victory in the $100,000 James W. Murphy S. on Preakness Day at Pimlico.

Fulmineo is the 11th stakes winner for Bolt d’Oro, whose 2024 stakes winner include Ruby Nell, winner of the Buena Vista S. (G2) and Irish Group 3 winner Bold Discovery.

After breaking from the far outside in the field of nine, Fulmineo took well back and was about eight lengths from the lead after a half-mile in :51.88 over a soft turf course. Forced to go four-wide on the final bend, Fulmineo made up the entire deficit turning for home, then surged clear in the lane to win comfortably.

“We had a good trip,” said winning jockey Flavien Prat. “He broke okay and we were able to save ground in the first turn. Then, on the back side it seemed like the pace slowed down a bit. I was able to get him to the outside on the good ground. From there, he was traveling well and did the rest.”

Fulmineo, who finished second in both the Pilgrim S. (G2) at two and the Columbia S. earlier this year, is now 2-4-1 in nine starts and has earned $179,275 for Starlight Racing and Mark Grier.

The winner was bred by Country Life Farm and Starr of Quality LLC and is the first foal out of stakes winner Starr of Quality.