Graded stakes events begin around 1:30pm on Saturday. CNBC has coverage until 4:30pm, and then NBC takes the baton. There is a mild chance of rain, with temperatures expected to be in the 70s. Our picks in the table above for the day of racing focus on Super Chow, Sopran Basilea, Atone and Nakatomi.
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Chick Lang Stakes Prediction
Seven three year olds are signed up for this six furlong Grade 3 test with a purse of $300,000. The favorite is Bob Baffert s Havnameltdown (+160). This is his first race since running second in February s one mile, one turn Saudi Cup.
While Havnameltdown just missed, he was nearly three lengths clear of UAE Derby winner, and Kentucky Derby entrant Derma Sotogake. Previously, Havnameltdown won four of five races in Southern California, three of them graded stakes. He has worked very quickly preparing for this event.
Super Chow (+300) has six wins in eight starts and his two loses have come to General Jim, who won on the Derby undercard, and Damon s Mound, who raced on the first Saturday in May. As the favorite in the Grade 3 Swale Stakes, Super Chow finished a length behind General Jim. He responded to win a stakes race at Gulfstream Park in March by over five lengths.
Ryvit (+350) has won three straight including the $150,000 Bachelor Stakes. Each win has been by over two lengths, and beating Mo Strike, who looked awfully good as a two year old, is impressive.
Frosted Departure (+800) finished fourth behind General Jim in the Pat Day Mile two weeks ago. Cutting back to six furlongs may be helpful for this three time winner.
Chip Lang Stakes Picks: Super Chow (+300)
Gallorette Stakes Prediction
You can make an argument for all seven of these fillies and mares going a-mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf in this Preakness Stakes undercard race. Two horses who have primarily run in Europe will get support in this Grade 3 event with a purse of $100,000.
Whitebeam (+300) ran five times in Great Britian and once in France before making her US debut in April. Across the pond she won three times, including beating boys twice, but never faced group level competition. In New York on April 16 she just missed in a stakes race, going off at +340 in a field of five. Trainer Chad Brown is among the top turf conditioners in America.
Sopran Basilea (+400) is making her first appearance in this country after 15 races in Italy. She won five of those, and finished second five times. In 2021 she beat Group 2 foes, and last time out, in October, finished second by a neck against Group 2 competition. Trainer Graham Motion is adept with turf runners, but often times his horses need a race to get acclimated to the US.
Eminent Victor (+400) has two wins in seven starts for Brown, but hasn t won since June. Her last two races have come on wet or damp tracks, and neither has gone well.
Motion sends out Vergara (+350) who won a high level race at Kentucky Downs in September, and just missed in New York a month later. She has three wins in nine starts.
A third Motion entrant, Bipartisanship (+800) hasn t beaten this level of competition, but is second off a layoff and has faced good horses. Princess Theorem (+450) has run back-to-back solid efforts, but is stepping up, and didn t win either of the close calls.
Gallorette Stakes Picks: Sopran Basilea (+400)
Dinner Party Stakes Prediction
Two Grade 1 winners are among a field of seven in this $200,000 mile-and-an-eighth Grade 3 turf test for older males. Atone (+180) finished third in this event last year. He only won once in eight tries in 2022, but started this year taking the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf.
He followed that up by finishing last of nine as the favorite in a Grade 2 event at Fair Grounds in March.
Emmanuel (+350) has a pair of Grade 3 victories this year, and took a G2 last summer. He was never in contention most recently in the Grade 1 Makers Mark Mile at Keeneland last month.
Motion watched Hurricane Dream (+350) finish 10th against Atone in his US debut in the Pegasus, but turned around and won easily against lesser competition at Keeneland in April. He won six times in 18 races in France and Germany, and finished second in a Group 2 race in September.
Easter (+1000) is also trained by Motion. His European form was spotty, and he needed four races to win in the US, but looked good doing so six weeks ago. He ran a pretty strong fourth against top competition last summer at Belmont in the Grade 1 Man o War Stakes.
Speaking Scout (+600) consistently faces top competition, and won December s Grade 1 Hollywood Derby for Motion. His lone race this year was only a mile, and he was well beaten by better horses.
Rising Empire (+800) is cutting back. He hasn t beaten horses this good, but is a $700,000 son of Empire Maker, and his two races prior to going a-mile-and-a-half last time out were career bests.
Dinner Party Stakes Picks: Atone (+180)
Maryland Sprint Stakes Prediction
This $100,000 Grade 3 six furlong sprint for older boys includes three graded stakes winners and a lot of early speed.
Straight No Chaser (+300) has won three of six career races, all in gate-to-wire fashion, including a seven length victory in an optional claimer at Oaklawn Park on April 1. His two graded stakes races have resulted in seventh and third place finishes.
Wondrwherecraigis (+400) has eight victories in 16 starts and has won two of three races at Pimlico. He seemed to be running faster prior to a trip to Dubai last spring, but he won his only race this year, against lesser competition in April at Laurel Park. He has two Grade 3 victories on his resume, and is always on or right off the lead.
Al Loves Josie (+1000) and Hello Hot Rod (+1000) are usually close to the front too. Both are Maryland breds who have rarely faced this level of competition.
Nakatomi (+250) may sit the perfect trip, a few lengths off the lead. A modestly bred four year old for top turf trainer Wesley Ward, he has four wins in 11 starts and even tried going to England to race at Royal Ascot in 2021. He has finished third twice in four graded stakes tries ans is our top Preakness Stakes undercard pick for the Maryland Sprint Stakes.
Maryland Sprint Stakes Picks: Nakatomi (+250)
Get more Preakness Stakes predictions from SBD here!
