There are seven supporting stakes on an outstanding 14-race card at Pimlico for Preakness Day. (photo credit Pimlico Race Course)
While most eyes will be on Always Dreaming’s attempt to keep his Triple Crown hopes alive in the $1.5 million Preakness (G1), horseplayers are in for a treat with seven supporting stakes on an outstanding 14 race card at Pimlico on Saturday.
The first stake on the card is the $100,000 The Very One which drew a field of 11 fillies and mares that will go five furlongs on the turf. Pretty Perfection is the 4-1 morning line favorite in a wide-open race.
The $200,000 Chick Lang for three-year-olds going six furlongs on the main track drew nine led by Recruiting Ready (8-5), winner of the Bachelor at Oaklawn Park in his last outing. Three Rules is cutting back from the Florida Derby (G1) where he weakened to finish fifth after setting the early fractions.
Dover Cliffs is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the $100,000 James W. Murphy, a one mile test on turf for three-year-olds that drew a field of 13. His main foe will be Yoshida (3-1), a good looking maiden winner in his last outing for the Bill Mott barn.
Nine will go to the post in the $150,000 Maryland Sprint (G3) which looks like a match race between A.P. Indian (8-5) and Whitmore (9-5).
The $150,000 Galorette (G3) for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on turf will have a group of 10. On Leave is the 2-1 morning line favorite and makes her first start since running fourth in the Queen Elizabeth Cup (G1) last October at Keeneland.
Hedge Fund (9-5) leads a field of 10 going to the post in the $150,000 Sir Barton for three-year-olds that have not won a stake. The colt was beaten a head in the Illinois Derby (G3) in his last start.
The $250,000 Longines Dixie (G2) is the lead-in to the Preakness and drew a solid field of 10 turf runners that will go 1 1/16 miles. The Chad Brown trained Projected (3-1) faces off with Grade 1 winners World Approval (7-2) and Ring Weekend (4-1).
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Let’s head out to Pimlico for Saturday’s featured betting race of the day:
Pimlico Race 12 The Dixie G2 (Post time 5:39 ET)
#2 World Approval 7-2
#10 Ring Weekend 4-1
#4 Projected 3-1
#7 Blacktype 4-1
Analysis: World Approval came off a 5 1/2 month layoff with a sharp win in the Florida bred Turf Classic at Tampa Bay Downs which should set him up nicely against this much tougher group. He won the United Nations (G1) last July and just missed in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs by a neck. The Casse trainee has been working sharply at Churchill Downs since his last win and should move forward off that effort here.
Ring Weekend was off a beat slow last out in the Frank Kilroe (G1), a race he won in ’15, and he made a mild late rally to finish fourth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths for the top spot. He has earned seven triple digit Beyer in his last 10 starts including a career top 107 winning the Seabiscuit ‘Cap (G2) at Del Mar last November. He missed in this race last year by a neck in a runner up finish to Takeover Target. The Motion trainee looks headed in the right direction form wise.
Projected makes his third start since landing in the U.S. for the Chad Brown barn. He beat allowance foes at Keeneland last out in a game effort over a couple of next out winners—runner up Divisidoro winning the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1) and third place finisher Pleuven coming back to win the Opening Verse on May 4 at Churchill Downs. He does not need to move forward much off his last effort to be in the mix in this spot.
Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 2,10 / 2,4,7,10
TRI: 2,10 / 2,4,7,10 / 2,4,7,8,10
Michael’s Report includes his selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations for the entire Preakness Day card from historic Pimlico. Michael is a Maryland bred and raced horses at Pimlico and knows the circuit from the backstretch to the finish line.
The second jewel of the Triple Crown will be run on Saturday May 20 at Pimlico. The big day of racing has seven supporting stakes including the Sir Barton Stakes, Miss Preakness Stakes (G3), Dixie Stakes (G2), Gallorette Handicap (G3), James W. Murphy Stakes, The Very One Stakes and the Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3).
