Catholic Boy among notable names in Preakness day stakes

BALTIMORE – The Saturday Preakness undercard at Pimlico, which is topped by the Grade 2, $250,000 Dixie, was drawn Wednesday afternoon. The Preakness itself, which will be the 13th event on a 14-race program that starts at 10:30 a.m., was to be drawn several hours later at Power Plant Live, an entertainment destination near the Inner Harbor in downtown Baltimore.

The Dixie, a 1 1/16-mile turf race, drew a field of 10 that will mark the return to competition of Catholic Boy, who will be making his 4-year-old debut for trainer Jonathan Thomas. Last year, Catholic Boy won the Grade 1 Belmont Derby over turf and the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga on dirt.

Catholic Boy drew the far outside post in the 12-horse Dixie. It will be Javier Castellano’s job to make sure he isn’t floated too wide.

The Dixie also includes Have At It, who will be making his first start as a 4-year-old for Christophe Clement after winning the Grade 2 Hill Prince at Belmont last fall; Inspector Lynley, who is 2 for 3 this year for trainer Shug McGaughey; and Real Story, O Dionysus, and Just Howard, the second- through fourth-place finishers in the Henry Clark last month at Laurel Park.

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There are a trio of Grade 3 stakes on the card – the newly elevated $200,000 Chick Lang, the $150,000 Maryland Sprint, and the $150,000 Gallorette.

The nine-horse Lang, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds, has drawn the Steve Asmussen-trained Pyron, who is undefeated after two starts at Oaklawn Park, and 3-for-3 Preamble, who is trained by Rodolphe Brisset.

Gladiator King has won the Hutcheson and Roar Stakes at Gulfstream Park in his last two starts for Jamie Mejia. Malpais enters off two runaway wins for Joe Sharp.

The Maryland Sprint, also at six furlongs, has a field of seven that goes through Lewisfield, who earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure two starts back in the Not For Love Stakes. He was second to Laki, who earned a 108 Beyer winning the Frank Whiteley Jr. Stakes on April 20.

Always Sunshine will be making his first start since December and has a history of running well fresh. Wentz has won three of his last four starts.

The Gallorette, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for fillies and mares, has a field of nine and will match Thewayiam – trained by Graham Motion – and Dynatail, who is trained by Mike Dini and has won her last two starts, one at this spring’s Keeneland meet and the other at last fall’s Keeneland stand.

Thewayiam, who is 5 for 13 in her career, returned from an eight-month layoff with a good second in a Gulfstream Park optional-claiming race.

Viva Vega comes into the Gallorette off a third-place effort to the talented Secret Message and La Moneda in the Dahlia Stakes at Laurel Park.

The inaugural running of the $100,000 Searching, a 1 1/2-mile turf marathon for fillies and mares, has attracted a field of nine that includes Ickymasho, winner of the Grade 3 Bewitch at Keeneland for Roger Attfield and Osare, who makes her first start of the year after closing out her 3-year-old season with a win in the $300,000 Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs last September.

Ten 3-year-olds were entered in the $100,000 James W. Murphy, a one-mile turf race. War Film, a close fifth in the Grade 2 American Turf and a competitive fourth Grade 3 Transylvania for Asmussen, is among the top contenders.

In the $100,000 The Very One, a five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares, the 3-year-old Jo Jo Air, trained by Wesley Ward, will tackle older rivals after winning the William Walker at Churchill Downs.

The $100,000 Sir Barton is a restricted to 3-year-olds who have not won an open stakes. The 1 1/16-mile race has a field of five that includes King for a Day, who will be making his seasonal debut for Todd Pletcher, and Top Line Growth, who won his career debut by 9 1/2 lengths for Kelly Rubley.