A near full field of 13 for the headlining 144th renewal of the Preakness Stakes and a bulked up undercard awaits fans and horseplayers Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. And better yet there doesn’t appear there will be any rain in the forecast, a welcome respite after last year’s soaker and another wet one two weeks ago at the Kentucky Derby.
The baker’s dozen entered for the Preakness doesn’t include the Kentucky Derby winner Country House, nor the first colt past the finish line in Louisville in Maximum Security, nor the third and fourth past the wire in Code Of Honor and Game Winner. Improbable finished fifth in the Derby before being elevated to fourth after the DQ and earned the favorite’s role for the second jewel for the American Triple Crown.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert goes for his record eighth Preakness with Improbable, winner of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity as a 2-year-old and the lone Grade 1 winner in the field. He gets a new rider in Mike Smith, who rode Justify to victory in last year’s Preakness.
Eight stakes are on the undercard of the 14-race program, one more than last year with the addition of the $100,000 Searching Stakes for older fillies and mares going long on the grass. The other Preakness Day fixtures are there – the Dixie, Chick Lang, Sir Barton, Gallorette and Maryland Sprint – offering a full menu to players looking to dip into the betting pools.
Our handicappers are back for some more cuts after surviving Black-Eyed Susan Day. Ben Gowans jumped out to the lead with a pair of winners Friday – Chalon in the Skipat Stakes and Point Of Humor in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan – to give him six on the season. Tom Law and Sean Clancy are tied for second with five winners. Tom picked Chalon and Covfefe in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness Friday, while Sean tabbed Chalon in the Skipat. John Shapazian and John Cox are tied for fourth with four winners after doubling up Friday. Shapazian tabbed Chalon and Covfefe while Cox picked Chalon and Mylady Curlin in the Grade 3 Allaire duPont Distaff. Joe Clancy trails with three winners after picking Chalon Friday.
Here’s a quick preview of every stakes and picks from our band of six. Enjoy and good luck.
Sir Barton. $100,000, 3-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles. 11:41 a.m. EDT.
Early start to the stakes action and 3-year-olds perhaps a little too late for the spring classics. King For A Day looked like one with potential last fall, finishing a good fourth behind Signalman, Plus Que Parfait and Limonite in Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club before going to the sidelines. Son of Uncle Mo returns going two turns for Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez against just five others. Top Line Growth earned big number winning maiden claimer in debut last time for Kelly Rubley, who also sends out Pretty Good Year.
- Tom: King For A Day, Tone Broke, Pretty Good Year.
- John S.: King For A Day, Top Line Growth, Tone Broke.
- Ben: King For A Day, Top Line Growth, Tone Broke.
- Sean: Top Line Growth, King For A Day, Top Broke.
- Joe: Top Line Growth, King For A Day, Tone Broke.
- John Cox: Top Line Growth, King For A Day.
James W. Murphy. $100,000, 3-year-olds, 1 mile, turf. 12:51 p.m.
Current returns to the grass – where he won the Grade 3 Dixiana Bourbon and finished decent seventh in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf – after fifth in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. Balanced field for first turf stakes of the day also includes English Bee, Real News, War Film and Empire Of War.
- Tom: Current, War Film, Real News.
- John S.: Eons, War Film, Shootin The Breeze.
- Ben: Real News, English Bee, Current.
- Sean: Current, Shootin The Breeze, Real News.
- Joe: Real News, Shootin The Breeze, Current.
- John Cox: Real News, War Film, Current.
Maryland Sprint (G3). $150,000, 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs. 1:28 p.m.
Seven line up for first graded event of the day. Lewisfield finished third in 2018 renewal and is one of most consistent sprinters in the region. Always Sunshine won last year’s Tale Of The Cat at and wound up in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for Ned Allard. The winner of this race in 2016, he’s been off since late December.
- Tom: New York Central, Lewisfield, Proforma.
- John S.: Wentz, Proforma, Lewisfield.
- Ben: New York Central, Proforma, Lewisfield.
- Sean: Wentz, Proforma, Lewisfield.
- Joe: Lewisfield, Wentz, Proforma.
- John Cox: Wentz, New York Central, Lewisfield.
Searching. $100,000, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/2 miles, turf. 2:07.
New addition to the Preakness Day card is grass marathon for older females. Ickymasho opened up and held on to win Grade 3 Bewitch at the same trip last time at Keeneland for Roger Attfield. English-bred mare is effective going long, as is Homeland Security, Osare and Violet Blue.
- Tom: Ickymasho, Violet Blue, Osare.
- John S.: Ickymasho, Homeland Security, Osare.
- Ben: Ickymasho, Layla Noor, Homeland Security.
- Sean: Ickymasho, Osare, Layla Noor.
- Joe: Violet Blue, Homeland Security, Ickymasho.
- John Cox: Ickymasho, Osare, Coachwhip.
The Very One. $100,000, fillies and mares, 5 furlongs, turf. 3:25 p.m.
From long on the grass to short on the grass. A favorite race among our crew and colleagues from Daily Racing Form, mostly because we like to refer to it as “the The Very One,” it’s also a tough one to sort out. Jo Jo Air steps up against older females after beating males last time in the William Walker going the same trip Opening Night at Churchill Downs.
- Tom: Souper Echo, Bath And Tennis, Jo Jo Air.
- John S.: Jo Jo Air, Wild About Star, Misericordia.
- Ben: Not In Jeopardy, Misericordia, Jo Jo Air.
- Sean: Jo Jo Air, Souper Echo, Misericordia.
- Joe: Jo Jo Air, Souper Echo, Misericordia.
- John Cox: Jo Jo Air, Souter Echo, Misericordia.
Gallorette (G3). $150,000, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles, turf. 4:05.
Stay on the grass for third straight stakes for females. Surprise, surprise with Chad Brown sending out a pair of top contenders in Barkaa and Inflexibility. The latter came close in several graded races last season, including the Grade 1 Beverly D., while the latter didn’t run well in U.S. debut before going to the bench. Plenty to choose from if you don’t like those two, including Mitchell Road for Bill Mott, Thewayiam for Graham Motion and I’m So Fancy for Arnaud Delacour.
- Tom: Mitchell Road, Barkaa, I’m So Fancy.
- John S.: I’m So Fancy, Thewayiam, Inflexibility.
- Ben: Barkaa, I’m So Fancy, Mitchell Road.
- Sean: I’m So Fancy, Mitchell Road, Thewayiam.
- Joe: Thewayiam, Mitchell Road, I’m So Fancy.
- John Cox: Mitchell Road, Viva Vegas, I’m So Fancy.
Chick Lang (G3). $200,000, 3-year-olds, 6 furlongs. 4:42 p.m.
Battle of unbeaten with the 3-for-3 Preamble going out for Rodolphe Brisset and most of the connections of Team Justify against the 2-for-2 Pyron for Steve Asmussen and Winchell Thoroughbreds. Something’s got to give, but it could also be a spoiler in the form of Malpais, Still Dreaming or Lexitonian.
- Tom: Preamble, Pyron, Still Dreaming.
- John S.: Preamble, Malpais, Pyron.
- Ben: Preamble, Malpais, Pyron.
- Sean: Pyron, Preamble, Still Dreaming.
- Joe: Preamble, Pyron, Malpais.
- John Cox: Malpais, Gladiator King, Preamble.
Dixie (G2). $250,000, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles, turf. 5:39 p.m.
Safe bet this year’s renewal stays on the grass versus being rained off a year ago. Big field of 12 includes Catholic Boy, a Grade 1 winner on dirt and turf last year, making his seasonal debut. He’ll need to be ready against the likes of Inspector Lynley, Real Story, O Dionysus, Have At It and Just Howard.
- Tom: Admission Office, Inspector Lynley, Catholic Boy.
- John S.: Flameaway, Have At It, Catholic Boy.
- Ben: Just Howard, Admission Office, Inspector Lynley.
- Sean: Admission Office, Catholic Boy, Paret.
- Joe: Catholic Boy, Inspector Lynley, Just Howard.
- John Cox: Catholic Boy, Inspector Lynley, Have At It.
Preakness (G1). $1.5 million, 3-year-olds, 1 3/16 miles. 6:48 p.m.
The main event doesn’t feature any of the first four past the finish of the Kentucky Derby and it’s without the Derby winner for the first time since 1996. The show goes on though, with adjudged Derby fourth Improbable the deserving favorite as the lone Grade 1 winner in the field. War Of Will tries to rebound from troubled trip in the Kentucky Derby and again breaks from post 1 while Alwaysmining carries the flag for Maryland and Fair Hill, along with Win Win Win.
- Tom: Alwaysmining, War Of Will, Win Win Win.
- John S.: War Of Will, Owendale, Improbable.
- Ben: Owendale, Win Win Win, Signalman.
- Sean: Anothertwistafate, Owendale, Win Win Win.
- Joe: War Of Will, Alwaysmining, Win Win Win.
- John Cox: Owendale, Improbable, Alwaysmining.
