Maybe it was inevitable. Maybe there had to be, you know, something unusual to happen this weekend at Pimlico.

Given the history – of fires and floods, famine and pestilence — and all.

And so on cue, moments after the completion of the final edition of the Grade 3 Pimlico Special to be contested at this iteration of Old Hilltop came the directive: proceed inside and shelter in place.

A day of racing conducted in slightly steamy conditions gave way to a howling wind and rain as an angry black cloud camped out over the crumbling old facility.

The day’s feature, the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan, would be delayed because of severe weather expected to blow through northwest Baltimore.

The Special – with its incredibly rich history – isn’t quite the race it once was. Today’s top two finishers, Awesome Aaron and Phileas Fogg, are both nice horses, but both are just a handful of races removed from having been claimed. And favored Star of Wonder was making his stakes bow.

In the event, Awesome Aaron, seemingly a new horse since having been unblinkered two starts back, gradually wore down Phileas Fogg in the lane to prevail by three parts of a length in 1:56.67 for 1 3/16 miles over a fast, sealed main track.

“He put a really good fight in the lane,” jockey John Velazquez said. “The horse [Phileas Fogg] came out and kind of bumped him a couple times, but he was fine.”

Fine, indeed. Awesome Aaron, claimed for $40,000 in September by trainer Norm Casse and owned by Turman Racing Stable and AJ Suited Racing Stable, notched his first stakes win.

Velazquez has won the Black-Eyed Susan five times, but the Preakness and Special have proven more elusive. He’s won just one Preakness – in 2023 aboard National Treasure – and today’s win was his first in the Special, a race won by such greats as Seabiscuit, Cigar, Skip Away, Real Quiet, and Invasor.

“I’m an old guy, but we have to get with the time,” Velazquez said of the pending new Pimlico. “We have to be more modernized in the game and try to make new fans and get young fans, too. I think it’s gonna be great.”

One race prior – continuing the “it’s always something” theme – the Brittany Russell-trained Bosserati sped to the front and rebuffed repeated bids from Accomplished Girl to win grassy The Very One Stakes by a head. Running time for five-eighths on good turf was 59.44 seconds.

The win rescued an unusually messy day for the Russell barn, which has become the dominant Maryland barn in recent years, winning races in bunches and dominating local stakes. But today prior to Bosserati’s win, two Russell runners, Sea Dancer and Complexity Jane, had scratched at the gate, the latter after ditching rider Sheldon Russell, Brittany’s husband, and running off. Sheldon took of his remaining mounts thereafter.

“It’s been a day, man,” Brittany Russell allowed afterwards. “Tell you what: can’t make it up.”

Sheldon Russell appears to be fine, track officials said, and did not need to go to the hospital.

As for Bosserati, it was the five-year-old Holy Boss mare’s sixth career win and third in stakes company. Last fall she had won the Maryland Million Turf Sprint against the boys in similar fashion, seizing the early advantage and holding off all comers.

Today’s win felt a little different.

“It will be memorable,” Russell said. “I mean, I’m not sure I want to remember this day. I’ll remember that Bosserati was there for me.”