Despite an adventurous trip and some tight quarters on the final turn, Army Wife emerged victorious in Friday’s $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) to give the 3-year-old filly her first graded stakes win.

Army Wife was part of Eaton Sales consignment to the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling sale on behalf of Boca Horse LLC. She was bred in Kentucky by J D Stuart and AR Enterprises, Inc. and is from the same family as Grade 1 winner Furiously.

Breaking from post 1, Army Wife came out awkwardly and had to take back along the rail. She held her spot about six lengths from the front as the field went through a half-mile in :46.71. With about a half-mile to run, Army Wife made a bold move through a narrow opening on the rail and found herself checking off the heals of the pacesetter Lady Traveler.

After taking back slightly, she came off the fence and around Lady Traveler at the top of the stretch. In the final furlong Army Wife pulled clear to easily best Willful Woman in 1:49.63 for the 1 1/8-miles on a fast track.

“They looked like they had a good pace in the beginning,” said winning rider Joel Rosario. “I thought was going to be forwardly placed, but the way they were moving, I was a little farther back.

“It was a decision that I had to make (the sudden move at the half-mile mark) because they were coming back a little bit in front of me and I had horse. I decided I needed to go because I had some room to go and just let her run her race like she always does.”

Army Wife now has three wins in eight starts, with earnings of $288,972 for owner Three Diamonds Farm.