Experts’ Preakness day undercard stakes picks

  • userThe Biz
  • dateMay 17, 2025

Today’s card at Pimlico, of course, is highlighted by the 150th running of the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, and we’ve previously asked our experts to scope that one out.

But it also includes a number of stakes on the Preakness undercard, and these can provide some testy handicapping challenges and (we hope) some good payoffs. So we turned our experts loose on them, as well.

Here’s what they came up with:

RACE 8: CHICK LANG STAKES

  • 3yo, $150,000 purse
  • 6 furlongs
  • One Nine Hundred (7-2) is the very lukewarm favorite in a sizable 11-horse field… The race includes Triple Crown nominees Normandy Coast (12-1), Keep It Easy (4-1), and Touchy (8-1)… Local hopefuls are Slam Notion (15-1), Chipotle (15-1), Tiny Lake (30-1), and Faster Gator (6-1)…
Joseph AielloTed BlackNick HahnGary QuillJohn PiassekDerby Bill WatsonEric RubinMackenzie Pfeiffer
6. Keep It Easy7. Faster Gator4. Normandy Coast10. Touchy6. Keep It Easy10. Touchy6. Keep It Easy3. Ancient World
8. One Nine Hundred8. One Nine Hundred8. One Nine Hundred8. One Nine Hundred7. Faster Gator2. Chipotle10. Touchy7. Faster Gator
3. Ancient World6. Keep It Easy7. Faster Gator7. Faster Gator8. One Nine Hundred6. Keep It Easy3. Ancient World8. One Nine Hundred

RACE 9: JIM MCKAY TURF SPRINT

  • 3yo and up, $125,000 purse
  • 5 furlongs on the turf
  • Boat’s a Rockin and Duncan Idaho are scratched…
  • Coppola (2-1) and No Nay Hudson (5-2) will vie for favoritism
Joseph AielloTed BlackNick HahnGary QuillJohn PiassekDerby Bill WatsonEric RubinMackenzie Pfeiffer
2. No Nay Hudson5. Determined Kingdom6. Coppola4. Witty2. No Nay Hudson5. Determined Kingdom8. Mattingly4. Witty
4. Witty6. Coppola4. Witty2. No Nay Hudson9. Fore Harp4. Witty2. No Nay Hudson2. No Nay Hudson
9. Fore Harp9. Fore Harp5. Determined Kingdom9. Fore Harp6. Coppola3. Honeyquist4. Witty8. Mattingly

RACE 10: SIR BARTON STAKES

  • 3yo who have never won a stake, $100,000 purse
  • 1 1/16 miles
  • Mr. Bogan and Hymn are scratched…
  • #6 Invictus (9-5) is a solid favorite off a maiden win at Keeneland…
  • Local hopeful #9 Just a Fair Shake (6-1) might help with a read on Preakness runner Pay Billy; he finished second to that runner in the Tesio…
Joseph AielloTed BlackNick HahnGary QuillJohn PiassekDerby Bill WatsonEric RubinMackenzie Pfeiffer
6. Invictus1. Crudo6. Invictus1. Crudo9. Just a Fair Shake6. Invictus6. Invictus6. Invictus
9. Just a Fair Shake6. Invictus1. Crudo2. Bestfriend Rocket6. Invictus7. Hymn2. Bestfriend Rocket9. Just a Fair Shake
7. Hymn7. Hymn7. Hymn7. Hymn1. Crudo8. Authentic Gallop9. Just a Fair Shake8. Authentic Gallop

RACE 11: JAMES W. MURPHY STAKES

  • 3yo, $100,000 purse
  • 1 mile on the turf
  • Mission Artemis, Clock Tower, and End of Romance are scratched…
  • #7 Reagan’s Wit (5-2) and #6 Soleil Volant (7-2) are the top two in the morning line…
  • #10 Studlydoright (8-1) is an intriguing local; a stakes winner on dirt, he tries turf for the first time. His dam was a stakes winner on the lawn…
Joseph AielloTed BlackNick HahnGary QuillJohn PiassekDerby Bill WatsonEric RubinMackenzie Pfeiffer
7. Reagan’s Wit6. Soleil Volant7. Reagan’s Wit7. Reagan’s Wit7. Reagan’s Wit3. Clock Tower9. Stormy Flight7. Reagan’s Wit
5. End of Romance7. Reagan’s Wit5. End of Romance5. End of Romance5. End of Romance1. Twain1. Twain1. Twain
3. Clock Tower5. End of Romance8. Curahee6. Soleil Volant6. Soleil Volant9. Stormy Flight7. Reagan’s Wit4. Barbadian Runner

RACE 12: GRADE 3 DINNER PARTY STAKES

  • 3yo and up, $250,000 purse
  • 1 1/8 miles on the turf
  • Signator, Irish Aces, and Fulmineo are scratched…
  • #13 Trikari (5-2), a Grade 1 winner, is favored for trainer Graham Motion…
  • Last year’s winner, #6 Balnikhov (9-2) returns in search of his first win since…
Joseph AielloTed BlackNick HahnGary QuillJohn PiassekDerby Bill WatsonEric RubinMackenzie Pfeiffer
3. Signator6. Balnikhov13. Trikari5. Abrumar9. Irish Aces13. Trikari7. Cash Equity9. Irish Aces
9. Irish Aces13. Trikari6. Balnikhov10. Fort Washington10. Fort Washington2. Crabs N Beer13. Trikari8. Crystal Quest
13. Trikari3. Signator5. Abrumar7. Cash Equity11. Fulmineo9. Irish Aces10. Fort Washington6. Balnikhov

OUR HANDICAPPERS ARE:

  • Nick Hahn, author of the eponymous Nick’s Picks for Colonial Downs.
  • Eric Rubin, host of Better Betting podcast
  • Gary Quill, co-host of Better Betting and former The Racing Biz Maryland handicapper
  • Derby Bill Watson, legendary former Colonial Downs on-air analylyst
  • Joseph Aiello handicaps Saratoga for The Racing Biz.
  • Ted Black is the Charles Town correspondent for The Racing Biz.
  • Mackenzie Pfeiffer is an on-air analyst for the Maryland Jockey Club

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