Orb looks to complete leg 2 of the Triple Crown in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes

Orb will be a heavy favorite on Saturday afternoon when he faces eight runners in the $1,000,000 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.  Orb has been given a morning line of even money for the Preakness and drew a tiny bit of concern when he drew the rail position for the mile and three sixteenths event.  Goldencents, who is a speed horse normally, drew right to Orb’s outside, so Orb will likely drop back off the pace but save ground as the field runs into the first turn.  Ridden by Joel Rosario, Orb was an impressive winner of the Kentucky Derby, rallying from 16^th place early on to get up and win by two and a half lengths.  Orb has been in spectacular form in the mornings once again leading up to the Preakness as he was in the Derby, so he should be tough.   Much was made about Will Take Charge who encountered severe trouble in the Kentucky Derby and was matching Orb stride for stride before getting cut off by Verrazano.  Expect him to be a wise-guy long shot play for many players on Saturday.   Departing is the new face in the field and comes off a sensational win in the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne Race Course.  A winner of four of five lifetime, Departing comes in for trainer Al Stall and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. and drew in the number four hole.  He was able to overcome a tough post position thirteen in the Illinois Derby and could be the second choice in the wagering.  Govenor Charlie also is a new shooter and drew post 8 for trainer Bob Baffert.  Govenor Charlie won the Sunland Derby and was expected to go into the Kentucky Derby, but his lackluster training before the race caused his connections to wait until the Preakness.  The Preakness is the 12^th race on the Saturday Pimlico card and post time is 6:20pm EST.

The Grade 2 Dixie headlines the undercard, and drew a big field of thirteen to compete over the turf course. Optimizer was second to Wise Dan just two weeks ago in the Woodford Reserve Turf and is back in this spot against a tough field.  Swift Warrior comes into this race with two straight wins at the Grade 3 level and comes into Pimlico for the first time.  Doubles Partner also figures to get some attention at the windows based on his consistency at the top levels of turf racing in America.  The Maryland Sprint Handicap features ten top runners, including Candyman E who has won 7 of his 14 career starts and is 6 for 10 at the distance.  Sage Valley drew the far outside and has won two straight wire to wire sprints and draws jockey John Velazquez.

Samitar and Old Tune will be matched up in the Gallorette Handicap and both have been assigned the 122 pound high weight.  Samitar was third in the Jenny Wiley Stakes last time out and Old Tune was seventh in that race.  Old Tune had won six in a row going into that dull effort in the Jenny Wiley, so she and Joel Rosario will be looking to rebound in the Gallorette.  Red hot Moon Filly has won two straight at Laurel Park, but comes off the bench for this race.  Summer Applause and Brushed By a Star both ship in and could be dangerous.  The Preakness Day card gets underway at 10:30am EST on Saturday.

BetPTC.com Selections for the Preakness

1. Orb
2. Govenor Charlie
3. Departing

Longshot: Will Take Charge

BetPTC.com Selections for the Dixie Stakes

1. Swift Warrior
2. Optimizer
3. Doubles Partner

Longshot: Howe Great

BetPTC.com Selections for the Maryland Sprint

1. Sage Valley
2. Candyman E
3. Poseidon’s Warrior

Longshot: Action Andy

BetPTC.com Selections for the Gallorette Handicap

1. Samitar
2. Old Tune
3. It’s Hard Not To Like

Longshot: Appealing Cat

BetPTC.com Selections for the Allaire Dupont

1. Summer Applause
2. Brushed By a Star
3. Access To Charlie

Longshot: Sea Island

BetPTC.com Selections for the James Murphy

1. China Holiday
2. Redwood Kitten
3. Red Wings

Longshot: Shining Cooper

BetPTC.com Selections for the Chick Lang

1. Bobcat Jim
2. Zee Bros.
3. Clawback

Longshot: City of Weston

Pimlico Special and Black-Eyed Susan top list of Friday Pimlico action

Friday’s Pimlico card features the Grade 3 Pimlico Special and the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan as part of a wonderful card of racing at Pimlico.  Thirteen races in total will be run on Friday including a handful of stakes events.  Last Gunfighter will lead a group of up and comers who will race in the $300,000 Pimlico Special.  Last Gunfighter scored in the Grade 3 Excelsior last time and comes into this race with a five race winning streak.  Eighttofasttocatch is a speed demon based in Maryland who will be out gunning on the lead and could be tough to catch if nobody comes after him early.

The Black-Eyed Susan lures Emollient who was a huge winner in her last start, the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland.  She was pointed to the Kentucky Oaks, but her connections decided that after running two races in a week, to give her some down time and race her in the Black-Eyed Susan.  Multiple Grade 1 placed Fiftyshadesofhay will be a contender in the Black-Eyed Susan as well, however, similar to her last few starts when she had to chase Beholder, she could find herself chasing in vein behind Emollient if that one gets loose, even though the race is filled with other speed.

BetPTC.com Selections for the Pimlico Special

1. Last Gunfighter
2. Richard’s Kid
3. Eighttofasttocatch

Longshot: Concealed Identity

BetPTC.com Selections for the Black-Eyed Susan

1. Fiftyshadesofhay
2. Emollient
3. Toasting

Longshot: Manuka Honey

BetPTC.com Selections for the Very One Stakes

1. Sweet Cassiopeia
2. Spun Cap
3. Sensible Lady

Longshot: Nechez Dawn

BetPTC.com Selections for the Hilltop

1. Zenzara
2. Emotional Kitten
3. Kitten’s Point

Longshot: Le Fascinator

BetPTC.com Selections for the Jim McKay Turf Sprint

1. Ben’s Cat
2. Bridgetown
3. Spring To the Sky

Longshot: Ken’s Cape

BetPTC.com Selections for the Miss Preakness

1. I’m Mom’s  Favorite
2. Tread
3. Lighthouse Bay

   Longshot: Cheetah Pants

BetPTC.com Selections for the Skipat Stakes

1. Strike The Moon
2. Funnys Approval
3. Dance To Bristol
   Longshot: Orange’s Lil Sis

Delaware Park opens up on Saturday

Delaware Park will get underway on Saturday at 1:15pm EST and will kick off the 81 day racing season.  Racing will be run on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday schedule throughout the summer months.  Headlining the season will be the Delaware Handicap, which has been upgraded back to a Grade 1 level, partly based off the success of recent winners like Royal Delta, Blind Luck and Life at Ten.  Delaware Park will race each day at 1:15pm EST and will also feature Arabian races at the end of some cards to go along with the Thoroughbred racing that will make up a vast majority of the races.

Grade 2 Everett Handicap headlines Saturday Hollywood card

 Hollywood Park will offer up a stakes doubleheader on Saturday with the $150,000 Grade 2 Everett Handicap the headliner.  Grade 2 winners Lady of Fifty and More Chocolate will hook up in the mile and a sixteenth event and both could be tough if they’re on their game.  Lady of Fifty is coming off the bench for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and was actually beat by More Chocolate in the Grade 2 La Canada the last time they hooked up.  Sister Kate is another Hollendorfer entry and could be dangerous if she’s able to go out unopposed early.

 

BetPTC.com Selections for the Everett Handicap

1. More Chocolate
2. Lady of Fifty
3. Sister Kate

Longshot:  Lady Aspen

 

 

Saturday Stakes Action at BetPTC.com

 

Betfair Hollywood Park

Race 5         Fran’s Valentine Stakes                       4:02pm EST

Race 10       Everett Handicap                               7:11pm EST

Calder Race Course

Race 10       Champali Stakes                                4:53pm EST

Canterbury Park

Race 7          10,000 Lakes Stakes                          5:47pm EST

Churchill Downs

Race 9          Keertana Stakes                                4:59pm EST

Delaware Park

Race 6          Our Mims Stakes                                3:45pm EST

Race 8         Our Mims Stakes (div. 2)                     4:45pm EST

Evangeline

Race 10       Tellike Stakes                                    10:25pm EST

Monmouth Park

Race 11       Red Bank Stakes                                    6:00pm EST

Pimlico (Friday)

Race 6         Skipat Stakes                                           2:34pm EST

Race 8          Miss Preakness Stakes                           3:36pm EST

Race 9         Jim McKay Turf Sprint                              4:16pm EST

Race 10       Black-eyed Susan Stakes                         4:47pm EST

Race 11       Very One Stakes                                       5:21pm EST

Race 12       Pimlico Special                                          5:52pm EST

Race 13       Hilltop Stakes                                             6:22pm EST

Pimlico (Saturday)

Race 4         Rollicking Stakes                                12:30pm EST

Race 6         Chick Lang Stakes                              1:50pm EST

Race 7         James Murphy Stakes                         2:33pm EST

Race 8         Allaire Dupont Stakes                         3:14pm EST

Race 9         Gallorette Handicap                            4:00pm EST

Race 10       Maryland Sprint Handicap                  4:42pm EST

Race 11       Dixie Stakes                                        5:25pm EST

Race 12       Preakness Stakes                               6:20pm EST

Prairie Meadows

Race 7          Bob Bryant Stakes                             9:05pm EST

Race 8          Gray’s Lake Stakes                             9:32pm EST

Sam Houston

Race 8            John Deere Juvenile Challenge             5:02pm EST

Race 9           Adequan Texas Derby Challenge          5:28pm EST

Thistledown

Race 7          Mike Rowland Memorial                       3:55pm EST

 

 

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