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The second leg of the Triple Crown is upon us, but as many of you know at a different home in 2026. Laurel Race Course will play host to the Preakness Stakes for the first time since 1908. The 14-race extravaganza should be a fun one with a plethora of stakes events on the undercard, a slew of horizontal opportunities, and of course a couple of promotions at 1/ST BET and Xpressbet. The big race goes as Race 13 and will be one of two opportunities at the Preakness Weekend Money-Back Special. For those that plan to play the entire card, there is the $20,000 Preakness Weekend Exacta-Thon. Head on over to the promotions page/tab to get full details.
Grade Descriptions: A= Highest Degree of Confidence, B= Solid Play, C= Least Preferred or Pass, X= Likely Winner but at odds probably too short to wager on.
Race 1:
Grade: B
Use: 3 Cairo Street/1 Sally’s Gold; 8 Gift of Gab
Forecast: #3 Cairo Street appears a solid gamble to kick off the card. This daughter of Cairo Prince makes her first start off the layoff, but instead of going long, trainer Lacey Gaudet has opted to cut the mare back in distance. When we saw her last, she broke from the outside and made a middle move in a race that fell apart late. If she breaks well off the bench and then relaxes comfortably off the early speeds, she has a big chance to out finish this group.
Race 2:
Grade: C+
Use: 3 Wickeddivine; 10 Dean Delivers; 9 Uncle Cat
Forecast: I am going to take a small swing in this second-level allowance over the main track against the heavily favored coupled entry of #1 Call Me Andy and #1A Blue Kingdom. It remains to be seen if both run for Jamie Ness, but I will use three horses, including top choice #3 Wickeddivine. He comes into his fourth start of the year having done little wrong thus far.
Race 3:
Grade: B-
Use: 5 Scanner; 1 Limo
Forecast: 5-2-morning line favorite #1 Limo moves back to the grass after three starts over the main track this winter. His last turf route at Aqueduct is better than looks making him the deserving top choice, but I expect a good run first out from #5 Scanner. The son of Blame is out of an Unbridled’s Song mare that finished second in the 2008 Pucker Up. Trainer Graham Motion is 2 for 6 since 2022 when debuting 3YOs in turf routes in Maryland. He attracts Irad Ortiz. I will bet to him to win and back it up with a 1-5-exacta, which also would help me in the Exacta-Thon.
Race 4: Skipat
Grade: B-
Use: 4 Benedetta; 2 Passage East; 7 Modo; 3 Kappa Kappa
Forecast: The first stakes race of the afternoon in Maryland could be more wide-open than the morning line suggests. 9-5-ML favorite #7 Modo comes in off a pair of easy wins, but they came loose on the lead in Texas. Things are likely to be tougher this time for the daughter of Liam’s Map. #2 Passage East is the most logical on paper to take advantage of the potential early battle, but I prefer the value #4 Benedetta should offer. The City of Light mare has been freshened up by Steve Asmussen after a pair of disappointing efforts in Arkansas to start her 5YO campaign. She appears to be training well after the time off and gets a huge rider switch to Jose Ortiz. Hopefully, we can get her into the exacta to help the wallet immediately and knock another one down in the Exacta-Thon.
Race 5:
Grade: C
Use: 1 Nick’s Notion; 4 Sassari
Forecast: The last non-stake race until after the second jewel of the Triple Crown is a first-level allowance event at two-turns over the grass where #4 Sassari was made the 5-2 ML favorite off a dominant front running score on debut at odds-on. She clearly has unlimited upside, but taking a short price off a filly that just galloped as the chalk on the lead is not a winning long-term strategy. I landed on #1 Nick’s Notion as the filly with an upset chance. She ran down the lone speed runner in a state-bred allowance off a 10-month break on April 26 and draws favorably along the inside. She can finish if she gets some pace to chase.
Race 6: Sir Barton
Grade: X
Use: 7 Reagan’s Honor
Forecast: #7 Reagan’s Honor disappointed when trying to earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby in early April, but things are likely to be different for him in Maryland. He was beaten to the punch in the Blue Grass (G1) and never got comfortable. Perhaps it was the lack of Lasix, but the fact Cherie DeVaux brings him back without it and just six weeks later leads me to believe he is doing just fine. DeVaux is 7 for 20 with a $5.47 ROI (boosted by Golden Tempo) over the last 30 days. I am not interested in trying to beat him.
Race 7: Chick Lang
Grade: X
Use: 4 Obliteration
Forecast: The same is true with the 6-5-ML favorite in this year’s Chick Lang. Steve Asmussen has won this race more than any other trainer. #4 Obliteration travelled overseas and ran great to earn second in the Saudi Derby (G3). He gets back to a more preferred distance and lures the hottest rider in the game.
Race 8: Maryland Sprint (G3)
Grade: B+
Use: 5 Floodlites; 7 Hymn; 4 Haileysfirstnotion
Forecast: One race I am looking forward to attacking from an exacta perspective is this 6-furlong dash over the main track where I am hoping to get #7 Hymn into the number. The son of McKinzie is on the improve for Ron Moquett and should get a contentious pace to run at. Whether he is good enough to win will be determined, but he is 12-1 on the ML and should be in a great spot at the very least to pick up the pieces. Both #4 Haileysfirstnotion and #5 Floodlites enter the Maryland Sprint (G3) in top form. The problem is both of them and a few others do their best running towards the front. I prefer Floodlites slightly, but will use them both with Hymn in hopes of a solid score to kick off the second half of the day.
Race 9: James W. Murphy
Grade: B+
Use: 6 Turf Star/3 Zihnal
Forecast: The uncoupled Graham Motion entry of #5 Proton and #6 Turf Star are likely to take a lot of the public’s money in this one-mile turf race for 3YOs. I much prefer Turf Star. Proton has struggled to relax and had little excuse in his first two starts of the year. Turf Star ran poorly in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), but has kept better company overall. Plus, two-back in the Kitten’s Joy his effort was forgivable when forced 3-wide and bumped on the first turn. Jorge Ruiz will try his hand on the Calumet Farm homebred for the first time.
Race 10: Dinner Party (G3)
Grade: A-
Use: 3 Cruise the Nile
Forecast: I love the chances of the Jersey-bred #3 Cruise the Nile in this year’s Dinner Party. The Hope Jones homebred has rattled off four consecutive wins since moving to the grass and displayed the versatility only really good horses show in the Henry Clark to get the money last month. There is little reason to not use his speed in this spot, but perhaps he will hope for a target once again. Either way, he is a gelding on the rise for Graham Motion.
Race 11: Gallorette (G3)
Grade: C+
Use: 1 Mahra’s Love; 6 Cheetah Lady; 4 Warming
Forecast: I could make a case for most of the field in this year’s Gallorette, which explains my overall lack of confidence. However, I do think the logicals are vulnerable. The Chad Brown trainees will be underlays win or lose and #5 Austere was poor last out despite having everything her way on the front end at Keeneland. I will use prices in the horizontals in hopes of separating from the public.
Race 12: Jim McKay Turf Sprint
Grade: B
Use: 3 Jean Valjean/2 Determined Kingdom, 11 Had to Have Him; 4 Chasing Liberty
Forecast: I am going to lean on #3 Jean Valjean in this year’s ultra-competitive Jim McKay Turf Sprint. The 7YO gelding has won 8 of 19 career races and ran much better than it appears on paper two-back versus several of his rivals in this spot. The Pennsylvania-bred battled early from the outside and easily disposed of the other speed at odds of 28-1 before being run over in a race that totally collapsed in the end. He came back two weeks later and won going away. Trainer Elizabeth Merryman calls on one of the best riders on the continent and should see a race flow that favors those forwardly placed. 5-1 seems fair and another chance to hit a solid exacta as well.
Race 13: Preakness (G1)
Grade: B-
Use: 2 Ocelli; 6 Chip Honcho; 12 Incredibolt/5 Talkin; 1 Taj Mahal; 10 Napoleon Solo; 13 Great White
Forecast: For those of you reading this on the blog, I recommend checking out the Preakness Wager Guide for detailed information on all riders in the big race and much more. I am expecting a fast pace in the second jewel of the Triple Crown. If we get it, I am hopeful it is #2 Ocelli making the last move. One can certainly question his will to win, but I think a perfectly timed move like Golden Tempo’s in the Derby will be good enough to get this bunch.
#12 Incredibolt is as likely as anyone to benefit from a fast early tempo. Trainer Riley Mott must love the way his colt is training to run him back last minute off of 2 weeks rest. #6 Chip Honcho will likely have to either relax off the pace or deal with a lot of contention early, but his best puts him squarely in the mix. The addition of Jose Ortiz is a huge positive since has been pulling all the right strings of late. I can see the Steve Asmussen trainee hanging around for a slice at the very least. #1 Taj Mahal and #10 Napoleon Solo may have the highest ceilings in the field, but also have a big chance to compromise each other’s chances early. If one somehow shakes loose early though, they could be a handful to run down. Of all the horses drawn to the outside, #13 Great White may be the one least impacted. Not to say a wide trip will work out well, but he is a massive horse. Being down on the inside was unlikely to be his ticket to victory.
Race 14:
Grade: C+
Use: 6 Grant the Great; 9 Mister Monday Nite; 4 Bruno; 8 Holy Moly Mitole
Forecast: The Preakness Day festivities conclude with a 6-furlong MSW over the main track for 3YOs where a trio of second-time starters make sense, but do not snooze on #9 Mister Monday Nite. They spent $75k for this son of Enticed. He comes in off a steady series of drills for trainer Jamie Ness.
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