We have a number of tremendous promotions at 1/ST BET and Xpressbet slated for Preakness weekend, including one of the best in the game, EXACTA-THON.
It is pretty simple. Customers who cash exactas on six different races on Friday or Saturday will split a cool $20,000. Plus, the customer(s) who makes the most winning Exacta bets that day will win or split an additional $5,000. So that is a total of $50,000 of free money on the line over the two cards making this an absolute no-brainer to register for immediately. Here are a few exactas I will definitely be including amongst my EXACTA-THON plays.
Friday Plays:
Race 8: Allaire DuPont Distaff
There could be some opportunity not only to connect on an exacta in the first leg of the Rainbow 6, but to beat a potentially over bet filly as well in #1 Julia Shining. The regally-bred daughter of Curlin rattled off a pair of victories to kick off her career for Todd Pletcher, but has failed to revisit the winner’s circle since. She ran decent off the layoff at Keeneland last month, but looked like a winner before hanging late and finishing third at odds-on. The Stonestreet Stables gal is capable of moving forward in her second try off the bench, but I am willing to let her beat me in this 9-furlong affair over the main track.
I will build my wagers around #4 Musical Mischief. The Stoneway Farm filly bested Julia Shining back on April 13th and should get a great stalking trip under Hall of Famer John Velazquez. As the 3-1-third choice on the morning line, she appears to have some upside still and is likely to get the jump on her main rivals. I will key her over #5 Queen of Missoula who should be finishing well under Flavien Prat and with #8 Shotgun Hottie who gets serious class relief for trainer Cherie DeVaux
Plays: Exacta 4 with 5+8, Exacta 8-4
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Race 13: Black-Eyed Susan
This year’s Black-Eyed Susan appears relatively wide-open with #7 Corposo listed as the 5-2-morning line favorite shipping in from Southern California for Peter Eurton. The Vino Rosso filly has run the fastest races, but is tough to get excited about at the price given her 1 for 3 -record with the lone victory coming against a rival that has been defeated at 6-5 or less in three consecutive efforts. She is not an outright toss for me against this bunch, but I am certainly unwilling to live and die with her.
Instead, I will build my wagers around #4 Call Another Play. The daughter of Audible gets a class test on Friday, but she has been a different racehorse since trainer Michael Trombetta added the blinkers last December. The Maryland-bred should get an honest pace to run at and offers tremendous value at her 8-1-morning line offering. I will use the aforementioned Corposo with her, as well as #5 Gun Song who tries two turns for just the second time after a stalk and fade effort in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). If she handles the added ground, she should be there at the wire.
Play: Exacta Key Box 4 with 5+7
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Saturday’s Plays
Race 8: Maryland Sprint
#2 Prevlance is a morning line favorite I will be taking a stand against on the Preakness Stakes undercard. The son of Medaglia d’Oro won for the first time since April 9, 2022 last out at Keeneland and did so impressively, but with a perfect trip under Irad Ortiz, Jr. Perhaps the blinkers on the dirt made the difference, but the move to an inside post and his inability to put back-to-back races together are concerning.
#4 Jaxon Traveler is my top choice and key horse in this year’s Maryland Sprint (G3). The son of Munnings has feasted at Pimlico over the years earning three wins and two seconds in six lifetime tries. The Maryland-bred was flat in his fifth-place finish last out in the Count Fleet (G3), but somewhat understandably coming off one the best efforts of his career in the Whitmore (G3). Expect Flavien Prat to find a comfortable spot just off the early leaders and find his way back to the Pimlico winner’s circle.
I will use #6 Prince of Jericho and #7 Bourbon Bash with my key horse. Prince of Jericho was beaten by #1 Coastal Mission last out at Laurel, but had a less favorable voyage. Bourbon Bash has struggled to finish the deal ,but he has hit the board in seven straight and ships into Baltimore off of a good second to O’Besos in the St.Matthews at Churchill Downs.
Play: Exacta Key Box 4 with 6+7
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Race 13: Preakness Stakes
The 149th running of the Preakness Stakes looked like Muth’s race to lose after an impressive victory in the Arkansas Derby (G1), but the Bob Baffert trainee was scratched due to spiking a fever. This opens things up quite a bit for my price play #7 Just Steel. The Justfiy colt has only put forth two poor performances as a three-year-old and both are excusable. He was caught impossibly wide throughout in his seventh-place finish in the Rebel (G2), but he bounced back with a career best runner-up effort to Muth in the aforementioned Arkansas Derby. Many will toss him after being beaten 33-lengths in the Derby, but that might be a mistake. He was jostled around quite a bit at the start forcing Keith Asmussen to perhaps be a little more aggressive in his attempt to find a good forward position than expected. This led to him being a part of the contentious first three-quarters of mile and fading badly in the lane. With the rider switch to Joel Rosario and a race shape that is highly unlikely to produce a fast pace, he should have no issue setting early and having much more left when the real running begins.
Just Steel is the best value option in this year’s Preakness, but the Derby winner #5 Mystik Dan is the likeliest to capture the second leg of the Triple Crown. He may have gotten a great ride along the inside under Brian Hernandez, Jr, but he was up close to a contentious pace and showed a lot of heart and determination fighting through the hole on the inside and still having enough energy to hold off Sierra Leone and Forever Young. I love his chances to run a big race right back. #8 Tuscan Gold is my other use. The Chad Brown conditioned colt has not raced since the Louisiana Derby where he was caught wide throughout in his initial try against winners, but still battled to the end earning third at 11-1. Do not be surprised if he is closer to the early pace than it may appear on paper with Tyler Gaffalione returning to ride.
Plays: Exacta Box 4+7, Exacta Key Box 7 with 4+8
Good luck!
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