BALTIMORE – Graham Motion trains three of the seven entrants in Saturday’s Dinner Party Stakes. Even that might not be enough if Atone atones for a New Orleans stinker and flashes his better Florida form. Maryland-based Motion, who last won this race in 2006 with the excellent Better Talk Now, starts Hurricane Dream, Speaking Scout, and Easter in the Grade 3, $200,000 Dinner Party over 1 1/8 miles on turf. “It wasn’t really my intention but that’s what everyone wanted to do,” Motion said of his three-pronged assault. “They’re all very different horses. They’re hard for me to separate.” Hurricane Dream figures to be the shortest price among Motion’s trio followed by Speaking Scout and Easter. But even Easter rates a long look, especially if Atone doesn’t bounce back. Atone, a 6-year-old trained by Mike Maker, has been a good horse for a long time but probably ran the best race of a 24-start career finishing strongly from mid-pack to capture the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28. For an encore, he finished ninth as the 9-10 favorite in the Muniz Memorial on March 28 at Fair Grounds. The showing confounded Maker – until Atone came out of the race sick. “I think he had something brewing. Now, he’s back to his old self,” Maker said. Atone and jockey Tyler Gaffalione drew the rail in a race lacking pace and could wind up coasting on the lead – for better or worse. Atone set a solid tempo in the 2022 Dinner Party before being overtaken by two rivals. He went wire to wire in a nine-furlong Aqueduct allowance race last year but might be a horse who prefers a target. :: DRF's Preakness Headquarters: Contenders, latest news, and more All the Motions could be bearing down on Atone in the homestretch. Six-year-old Hurricane Dream made his first 18 starts in France before Barry Irwin of Team Valor asked Motion to take the horse last fall. Hurricane Dream was campaigned as a 1 1/4-mile horse most of his career but appeared to appreciate racing one mile on a left-handed course in a pair of races last summer and fall, finishing third and second in Group 2s in France and Germany. After a 10th in the Pegasus Turf, his American debut, Hurricane Dream was a sparkling winner of a high-end Keeneland turf allowance race over the Dinner Party’s 1 1/16-mile trip. His jockey that day, Frankie Dettori, has since returned to England. Joel Rosario picks up the mount. “He worked very well in Florida, and we took the ambitious step of trying the Pegasus, but it was a little too much for him on that tricky turf course. Frankie said he never got comfortable,” Motion said. Hurricane Dream looked plenty comfortable at Keeneland. He made his move from sixth position at the five-sixteenths pole and had reached the front just past the three-sixteenths without Dettori asking for anything. Motion said the gelding has done well between starts, which says Hurricane Dream should make his presence felt. Easter also came from France, while Speaking Scout was purchased after his career debut at Colonial Downs by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. Speaking Scout improved steadily through 2022, his 3-year-old season, winning the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. He began 2023 by finishing third with a tougher trip than Atone in the Pegasus Turf. His lone start since yielded a fifth-place finish April 14 in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile, a race that probably was too short for him and where he ran into three monsters – Chez Pierre, Modern Games, and Up to the Mark. Expect a solid forward move Saturday. “He’s matured into a bigger, better horse this year,” said Motion. Easter is no slouch. He held his own finishing fourth last May in the Grade 1 Man o’ War going 11 furlongs and despite pulling too hard in the early and middle stages of his 2023 debut, Easter sizzled his final three-sixteenths when Motion cut him back to a mile in a winning effort while making his first start in 10 months. :: Get ready to bet the Preakness! Join DRF Bets and score a $250 Deposit Match + $10 Free Bet + Free PPs - Promo code: WINNING “He’s been a horse who’s always showed us a lot,” Motion said. “He’s not an easy horse to ride.” Rising Empire might not have stayed 1 1/2 miles finishing seventh last month in the Elkhorn at Keeneland but still must show his second in the Muniz was more than a one-off peak. Emmanuel lost all chance with a slow start in the Maker’s Mark Mile but still ran a flat race finishing a distant seventh. Never Explain has been brought steadily through the allowance ranks by trainer Shug McGaughey but got a perfect trip beating lesser last out at Tampa and probably is in too tough. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.