LAUREL, Md. – Different venue, but trainer Norm Casse will hope for the same result when he brings Awesome Aaron back to Maryland for Friday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Pimlico Special to be held at Laurel Park.Awesome Aaron won last year’s Pimlico Special – run at Pimlico – but has gone winless in five starts since. In two starts this year, Awesome Aaron finished last of seven in the Grade 3 Oaklawn Mile in March before finishing fourth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Stars and Stripes in the Grade 3 Ben Ali at Keeneland in April.“I used the races to build his fitness this winter,” Casse said. “The mile race, he got really tired. He came back going a mile and three-sixteenths and got tired the last sixteenth. He should be ready to go.”There does not appear to be much early speed in this year’s Pimlico Special, so Awesome Aaron figures to be on or near the lead. Awesome Aaron will be ridden by John Velazquez, who was aboard for last year’s Pimlico Special victory but hasn’t been aboard since.“I’m excited to see him run,” Casse said. “We have a good post position [4], seems like we’ll have an ideal setup, and happy to have Johnny back on him. It’d be really cool to win it again.”Challedon (1939-40) is only repeat winner of the Pimlico Special.In last year’s Pimlico Special, Awesome Aaron defeated the New York shipper Phileas Fogg. Friday, Awesome Aaron will have to deal with the New York shipper Yo Daddy, who has won two of three starts since returning from an eight-month layoff earlier this year.Trainer Linda Rice said Yo Daddy needed time off following his second-place finish to Parchment Party in last June’s Grade 3 Belmont Gold Cup at Saratoga. He responded with an allowance win and a victory in the Excelsior – both around two turns – sandwiched around a runner-up finish in the Stymie Stakes, run as a one-turn mile.“The Stymie was a little too short for him,” Rice said. “I was very pleased with his effort in the Excelsior. We’re excited about going to Laurel. The mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter is really his sweet spot.”Last Saturday, over the Belmont Park training track, Yo Daddy worked five furlongs in 1:00.87 with a sharp six-furlong gallop-out of 1:12.87.“His last breeze was just as good,” said Rice, referring to a May 1 breeze in which he went five furlongs in 1:01.60. “He’s really come out of the Excelsior well, so we’re hoping for a big year.”Jose Lezcano rides Yo Daddy from the outside post in this seven-horse field.Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.’s older dirt male division roster is so strong that he can keep White Abarrio and Skippylongstocking in the barn and still have a top Pimlico Special contender in Navajo Warrior. The 5-year-old gelding by Candy Ride won a second-level allowance race at Gulfstream Park on March 21, earning career-best speed figures on multiple platforms, including a 99 Beyer Speed Figure.Joseph, who scratched Navajo Warrior out of the Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs two weeks ago, said the 1 3/16 miles “is an unknown. He’s bred for it. He should be very competitive.”Flavien Prat has the call from post 2. Duke of Duval was overmatched when finishing last of six in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap against White Abarrio, Sovereignty, and Journalism. This will be the son of Arrogate’s first try at 1 3/16 miles.“He’ll like it,” trainer Steve Asmussen said.San Siro, a late-running 5-year-old gelding by Classic Empire, finished third in the Essex Stakes at Oaklawn Park and the Ben Ali at Keeneland. He finished fourth in this race last year for trainer Brendan Walsh, who has Tyler Gaffalione to ride him Friday.Maclean’s Rook won a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Colonial Downs on March 14 for trainer Mike Trombetta. Xcellent Start, a West Virginia-bred who has won 11 of 43 starts, completes the field.