Preakness Day is Saturday May 20th! The big race goes off at 6:45 PM and racing fans are eager to see if Always Dreaming can win the second leg of the Triple Crown. It certainly would make Belmont Day that much more intriguing!
Virginia connected horses will make their presence felt on the Preakness Day under card at Pimlico, led by Virginia businessman and HBPA President David Ross, who has a pair of horses in stakes races that afternoon. His Proforma will compete in the $200,000 Chick Lang Stakes while Euroboss is in the $100,000 The Very One Stakes. The former is a 3 year old Munnings gelding that has won a pair of races and $72,290 from three career outs, including a triumph in the Sugar Bowl Stakes December 17th. The latter is a 5 year old daughter of Street Boss out of Mega, and has been “in the money” in all three of her 2017 races. She has won $92,066 from ten lifetime starts. Mike Stidham trains the pair, which will compete in races seven and five respectively.
Owner Marshall Dowell of Mechanicsville, Virginia hopes to collect another Pimlico memory, much like his Scrappy T provided 12 years ago, when he finished second to Afleet Alex in the Preakness. Dowell’s Mint Slewlep competed in the 2007 edition as well and finished seventh. On Saturday, his Ghost Bay is 6-1 early in a $55,000 allowance optional claimer which kicks off the day at 10:30 AM. The 5 year old Ghostzapper gelding has earned $169,700 and is trained by Rob Bailes.
Bailes also conditions Concordia’s Way for breeder/owner Sam English II. The 4 year old son of Concord Point will vie in a $52,000 allowance race at 11:05 AM. The Maryland-bred, who will be ridden by Sheldon Russell, has earned $81,118 and most recently was second in a Laurel allowance May 5th.
Limehouse Louie, who won the ’16 Jamestown Stakes, will compete in a $52,000 allowance race Saturday at Pimlico. Photo by Jim McCue.
Limehouse Louie, 2016 Virginia-bred Champion Two Year Old Male , will make his 2017 debut in that same allowance race. The 3 year old gelding, trained by Flint Stites, is by Limehouse out of Mystic Bay by Housebuster. He was bred by Carlos S.E. Moore and Gillian Gordon-Moore, and is owned by the Wildcard Stables (Bob House).
Finally, Woodberry Payne’s William’sluckygray is in the ninth race — a $35,000 starter allowance event. His 6 year old Dunkirk mare has won $140,222 from 14 career “in the money” finishes.
Enjoy Preakness Day!