An inside look at how the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park will shape up.
1. Taj Mahlal
Jockey: Sheldon Russell
Trainer: Brittany Russell
Current form: Three starts. Three wins. Two stakes. All three at Laurel. The latest in the Federico Tesio, which he won by 8+ lengths, leading at every call.
Worth a wager: Home cookin’. Stretched to 1 1/8 miles in the Tesio and finished with energy. Speedy Nyquist-sired colt figures to get the distance but can he overcome the inside post? Yes. Winner.
2. Ocelli
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Trainer: Whitworth Beckham
Current form: Seven starts. No wins. And yet the maiden is the leading money earner in the field after finishing third in the Wood Memorial and Kentucky Derby.
Worth a wager: Winless, but loads the Preakness starting gate with the top fig (94). Went off at odds of 70-1 in the Derby. Not today. But we believe he will have to wait to pick up his elusive first win. Midpack seventh.
3. Crupper
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Trainer: Donnie Von Hemel
Current form: Has two wins from six starts after winning the $200k Bath House Row at Oaklawn by a game neck.
Worth a wager: Good news? He’s going to cross the finish line first. The bad news? They have to go around again. Had to fight to win the “Row.” Not sure he wants another furlong or if he can stay with this group. Fades. Last of 14.
4. Robusta
Jockey: Rafael Bejarano
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Current form: Was last of seven in the Santa Anita Derby, then a non-threatening 14th of 18 in the “Run for the Roses.”
Worth a wager: Showed the way before throwing in the towel at Santa Anita. Never made the lead at Churchill Downs and ran to his odds (70-1). A robust price again. Rider change to Rafael Bejarano, who will ride him home 13th.
5. Talkin
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
Trainer: Danny Gargan
Current form: Midpack fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby. Shipped to Keeneland and reported home a distant third in the Blue Grass.
Worth a wager: No. But Irad Ortiz Jr. makes us look twice. Irad was robbed of a Kentucky Derby victory when he saw his brother Jose fly by in the final yards. Not that close this time. We’re talkin’ sixth.
6. Chip Honcho
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Current form: Dueled on the lead before settling for second in the Risen Star. Stretched to the Preakness distance in the Louisiana Derby and turned in fifth after racing wide.
Worth a wager: Has speed and Jose Ortiz on his back. Also has issues with crowd noise. Steve Asmussen said the huge gathering at Churchill Downs would have played a factor. Performs … on Laurel’s smaller stage. Third.
7. The Hell We Did
Jockey: Luis Saez
Trainer: Todd Fincher
Current form: Took a two-for-three record to the longer Grade 3 Lexington and ran well for second.
Worth a wager: Both of his wins were earned racing 6 furlongs but he held up nicely in his first two-turn test. Luis Saez stays on but can’t see them finishing better than 10th.
8. Bull by the Horns
Jockey: Micah Husbands
Trainer: Saffie Joseph
Current form: Ran to his odds (88-1) in the Fountain of Youth. Stepped lower and rallied from last to win the Rushaway over the synthetic course at Turfway.
Worth a wager: John Velazquez took this Bull By The Horns and they scored after falling 10 lengths off the leader. Johnny V has moved on to ride Corona de Oro. Micah Husbands was at the wheel in the FOY. Putting him ninth.
9. Iron Honor
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: Chad Brown
Current form: Debuted with a W. Was thrown into the Gotham and won that as well. Tested at two turns in the Wood Memorial and checked in seventh after a relatively clean trip.
Worth a wager: Repeat. Seventh in the Wood. If he’s the lukewarm favorite, that speaks volumes about the quality of the Preakness field. Chad Brown makes changes. Takes blinkers off; puts Prat on. May rebound but we have him fourth.
10. Napolean Solo
Jockey: Paco Lopez
Trainer: Chad Summers
Current form: Finished fifth in the Fountain of Youth then fifth again between Ocelli and Iron Honor in the Wood Memorial.
Worth a wager: He’s the only Grade 1 winner in the field. That was when he won the Champagne as a 2-year-old. One of the winter book favorites, he has failed to move forward. Fifth again.
11. Corona de Oro
Jockey: John Velazquez
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Current form: It took four starts for him to break his maiden. Ambitiously placed in the Lexington, he battled on the front end before finishing third behind The Hell We Did.
Worth a wager: He’s fast and John Velazquez will put him in the game early. Not expecting him to be around when they turn for home. Grab a Corona and look elsewhere. 11th.
12. Incredibolt
Jockey: Jaime Torres
Trainer: Riley Mott
Current form: The Virginia Derby winner lingered near the back of the pack in the Kentucky Derby before storming down the lane to be sixth, only 4 lengths back of the faster-closing Golden Tempo.
Worth a wager: Late thunder from Incredibolt. And he had to alter course and weave through traffic. Jaime Torres has a Preakness start under him. Won it with Seize The Grey. Thinking “Lightning” will be a fast- closing second.
13. Great White
Jockey: Alex Achard
Trainer: John Ennis
Current form: Flashed speed in the Blue Grass but stopped badly a half mile from home. Made three starts prior, winning twice.
Worth a wager: You may remember he was the last to draw into the Derby off the AE list and the last to be scratched when he flipped while loading the gate. If he enters the gate properly we have him coming home 12th.
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14. Pretty Boy Miah
Jockey: Ricardo Santana
Trainer: Jeremiah Englehart
Current form: Makes his stakes debut after back to back victories at Aqueduct. Has never raced farther than a mile.
Worth a wager: More speed. And Ricardo Santana Jr. will have a good view of the rest of the field breaking from the furthest post. Upgrade in talent and the extra 1/4 mile makes Pretty Boy an ugly eighth.