Loading ...May 18 2023
Friday May 19 Precap: Preakness Stakes, Black Eyed Susan, Pimlico Special, Miss Preakness
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Thursday, May 18, 2023. Pimlico is heading into its biggest weekend of the year, featuring Saturday evening’s coveted 2nd jewel of the Triple Crown, the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, which will be run at about 6:50PM after 9 other stakes races, 4 graded.
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But to kick things off on Friday, we have 6 stakes races including 3 graded contests including the Miss Preakness G3 for 3yo fillies, and the Pimlico Special G3 for all 3 and up. The Black-Eyed Susan G2, also for 3yo fillies, will headline the excellent 14 race card.
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Racing on Friday begins at 11:30AM and the stakes contests begin at 3:36PM with The Very One. Weather should be very pleasant with high around 74 both Fri and Sat and virtually no chance of rain. We’re going to break down the Preakness and Friday’s stakes races. Follow the Grid Snapshot here.
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R9 3:36ET 5f T The VryOne B100k 3 UP FM
You can forget 7 Golden Effect, she’s main track only, which won’t happen, this will stay on grass. A 5f race is usually over before you know it, and the focus has to be on early speed. Thus it’s difficult to look past the 6 horses that actually run with any kind of early speed.
You can see who they arer, the E’s and EP’s. 3 of them have short odds and 3 do not. We focus on not.
4 has good 6-1 ML odds and won a 5f here 3 races ago posting that 91.
1 at 15-1 tries turf again, which wasn’t bad last time out, losing by only 1 length. Long shot special!
11 at 15-1 had success again cutting back to 5f, and won the GPH last out. LSS alert!
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R10 4:07ET 6f D MsPrekns-G3 3 YO F
Contrary to the name, this race is NOT the filly equivalent of the Preakness and at 6f it goes by much faster around the one turn. Yes, speed often holds up at Pimlico, but you may be surprised to know that in sprints here, the midpack runners usually dominate. We have 3 E types and 5 early runners total.
The 2 favorites indeed look formidable, with the 2 filly winning 2 straight, and the 6, which should be the favorite, undefeated in 3 impressive races. But you may want to try a tri, or suppose a super.
4 at 8-1 won at 2nd asking, first on a dry track last out at 7f posting a 91. Irad up. LSS alert!
The two longest shots, 3 or 7, could even figure in.
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R11 4:38ET 8f T HilltopB100k 3 YO F
On the surface, this race does look like a chalk fest. But let me use a little logic on you here.
1 at 2-1 ML has a great trainer and won a stakes race her 3rd time out.
6 at 20-1 beat the 1, two races back at about 8.3f. Different surface, who cares. She can do turf too.
3 at 8-1 is undefeated in two and the higher priced of the Chad Brown pair.
10 at 12-1 ML won at 2nd asking last out and posted the 2nd highest turf PF on the board.
12 at 30-1 actually has the highest EP and high PF on the board, 2 races ago at Parx. Super LSS alert!!
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R12 5:10ET 9.5f D PimSpcl-G3 3 UPÂ
This is the 2nd most historic race at Pimlico, begun in 1938 as the famous match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral. If you haven’t read the book or watched the movie, do yourself a favor. If not, at least look it up online and watch the epic race.
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In this year’s edition, it’s tough to look past the two favorites for the exacta, but it does take 3 to make a tri and 4 to make a super if you want to, key, wheel, or box something together.
5 Cooke Creek at 10-1 has a great running style for this
7 Speed Bias at 8-1 is the only one with QP of 8 and will hope for a speed bias.
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R13 5:44ET 9f D BlkEySsn-G2 3 YO F
This is the filly equivalent of the Preakness, run ½ furlong shorter at 9f. An excellent field of 12 fillies are slated for this contest, and although there is only one true frontrunner, 10 of the 12 have QP of 5 or above. There may not be a speed duel but it will be crowded at the front.
I do expect Baffert’s favored filly Faiza, undefeated in 5 including 4 graded stakes and the Santa Anita Oaks G1 last out, to get a good ride by Prat and be in great position to take off at the end.
Todd’s pair: 5 is 1st in LP at 15-1; 6 at 10-1 is 2nd in Power
It’s also hard not to consider the 1, GP Oaks runner up and S4 running style.
So after the favorite, which almost certainly will figure in, there are a lot of options here.
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Alas, let’s fast forward for a preview of Saturday’s big race, the Preakness.
R13 7:01ET 9.5f D Preaknes-G1 3 YOÂ
After all the hype before the post draw, we are stuck with another short field of 8, which is average for the Preakness. And, the chalk looks very strong, especially the favorite, who in this rare instance, is the only Kentucky Derby runner in the race.
3 Mage 8-5 was 2nd only to heavy Kentucky Derby favorite Forte in the Fla Derby, and 2nd to none in KY.
8 First Mission 5-2 comes off a Lexington G3 win in his 3rd lifetime start for the red hot Cox barn.
1 National Treasure 4-1 has hit the board in 4 straight graded stakes for Baffert.
But I want to make the case for a couple long shots to join the superfecta.
10 Red Route One 10-1 has the 4th highest PF, scored last out in an Oaklawn Stakes (Asmussen)
6 Perform 15-1 came back from a stumbled start to win the Tesio last month for Shoog.
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That’s all we’re gonna cover for today. Stay tuned for more Preakness day coverage tomorrow.
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Get the full Grid for the Preakness and Pimlico all day Friday and Saturday here.
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Good luck!
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