Las Vegas, NV – Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland will be the focus of the horse racing world this weekend and the graded stakes action starts Friday, May 17. The Grade 3 Pimlico Special is one race on the busy Friday card will feature horses three years old and upward willing to go 1 3/16 miles on Pimlico’s main track for a purse of $300,000.
The Pimlico Special has attracted a field of seven for race 12 on Pimlico’s Friday schedule. Post time is 5:52 PM. Here is a look at the credentials of all seven entries for this Grade 3 stakes on Preakness Stakes eve.
Last Gunfighter – Chad Brown trained colt enters the Pimlico Special on a five race win streak including two minor stakes scores – the Evening Attire at Aqueduct January 19 over Isn’t He Perfect and the Raymond Earl Stakes by 4 3/4 lengths December 9 also at Aqueduct. Last time out he won his graded stakes debut – the Grade 3 Excelsior Stakes at Aqueduct March 23. He has placed in all nine career starts – those five wins, two seconds and two third place finishes and is one of the hottest horses in the land ahead of Friday’s action. He is your morning line favorite for a reason and a decent bet to dispatch what looks like an average field!
Eighttofasttocatch – multiple stakes winner finished ninth in this race last year and has seven starts since with two wins and two second place finishes. Last time out was a nice win in the minor Henry S. Clark Stakes on this track April 20 with a Beyer Speed Figure of 105 after an OK second March 16 at Laurel Park in the minor Harrison E. Johnson Memorial. Eighttofasttocatch is a veteran of 41 career start with 12 wins, six seconds and four third place finishes and based on his speed in his last start could threaten Last Gunfighter in this one.
Richard’s Kid – has raced all around the world for trainer Doug O’Neill but has really struggled of late. He had a fourth in the Grade 3 Native Diver in December, an ugly tenth in the Grade 2 San Marcos February 9 and sixth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap March 2 but rebounded with an OK third three weeks later in the Grade 3 Tokyo City Handicap. He followed that with another OK result – a third in the Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland April 21 but most recently struggled again to a seventh in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs May 3. He has 44 starts an 11 wins but hasn’t tasted victory since July. Richard’s Kid has just one career start at Pimlico – a fourth in the Grade 3 William Donald Schaefer Stakes 2009.
Pimlico Special betting at Pimlico Race Course with OffTrackBetting.com
Brimstone Island – multiple stakes placed colt had a staggering 17 starts in 2012 with six wins and has won four of five starts in 2013 – no stakes action however. He enters on a three race win streak for trainer William Campbell including a Starter Allowance at Parx May 4, and Allowance Optional Claiming at Laurel Park March 28 and another Starter Allowance two weeks earlier also at Laurel Park.
Indian Dance – won an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out in this track April 18 after a pair of fourths in similar races prior to that score. His last graded stakes action came way back in September 2010 when he finished fifth in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga. He has 18 career starts with five wins, two seconds and a third place finish.
Concealed Identity – participated in the 2011 Preakness and finished tenth but has concentrated on minor stakes races and Allowance tilts since. He has just one win in his last 14 starts – the minor Harrison E. Johnson Memorial at Laurel Park February 16. He is coming off an ugly ninth in an Allowance on this track April 28 after a respectable third also here just a week earlier in the minor Henry S. Clark Stakes.
Avenida Paseo – hasn’t tasted victory in over a year – a two race win streak in April 2012. He finished eleventh in his last graded stakes action – the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes on this track in May 2012 and is coming off a third place finish in a Claiming here April 19 – the only time he’s placed in the last six starts. He is the long shot in this race at 30-1 on the morning line and doesn’t figure to pose much of a threat.
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