Full field of 11 bid for Preakness berth in Tesio

LAUREL, Md. – The gang’s all back together on Saturday at Laurel Park as the top-five finishers from last month’s Private Terms face off in the $125,000 Federico Tesio Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles.

The Tesio is a Win and You’re In for the Preakness on May 18, as long as said winner is nominated to the Triple Crown. Currently, only Speedyness and Malinois from the field of 11 are not nominated.

Copper Tax rallied resolutely to win the Private Terms over a sloppy track, giving apprentice rider J.G. Torrealba his first stakes victory.

“He’s been working with me in the mornings and has ridden a couple for me,” trainer Gary Capuano said. “Bug riders, they’re hungry. They ride hard and he did that.”

Torrealba is back aboard Copper Tax in the Tesio but must navigate the far outside post in the 11-horse field.

“It depends on the break,” Capuano said about potential tactics. “We’re going to hustle him out of there and get some kind of position going into the first turn and see how it goes from there.”

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Copper Tax runs nine furlongs for the first time, but Capuano doesn’t seem too concerned about the extra distance. “If he gets a good trip and handles everything right, he’s pretty solid.”

Inveigled ran second in the Private Terms for trainer Jane Cibelli after receiving a pace-stalking trip under Mychel Sanchez. He breaks from post 10.

“I guess the only saving grace is that [Copper Tax] is on the outside of us,” Cibelli said. “[Inveigled] doesn’t really want to be on the lead anyway, so hopefully he can drop in behind the leaders.”

Cibelli is looking forward to running Inveigled at this longer distance. “He’s kind of a grinder, but he keeps going forever. When we breezed him the other day, we had trouble pulling him up.”

While Copper Tax and Inveigled drew poorly, Speedyness, third in the Private Terms, breaks from the inside with the speed to make the running.

“I thought he ran a really good race,” trainer Jamie Ness said about the Private Terms. “He got pressured the whole way, put the other horse away, went on, and got nipped at the wire.

“I didn’t train him hard for this race,” Ness continued. “One easy work. He’s going to run his race.”

Celtic P finished fourth in the Private Terms after racing wide most of the way, and adds blinkers for his third start of the year.

Kenny McPeek ships in Lat Long from Kentucky. Third in the Lecomte at the Fair Grounds, Lat Long finished ninth of 10 in Keeneland’s Blue Grass.

“He should run good,” McPeek said. “Nothing went his way in the Blue Grass. He broke awkward, got shuffled, got hung wide, and it was what could go wrong, went wrong.”

Carolo Rapido, a regally bred son of Curlin out of Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia, returns to Laurel for trainer Todd Pletcher after a sharp maiden win at 1 1/16 miles. Mission Beach, fourth in Aqueduct’s Bay Shore, stretches back out in distance.

Celtic Contender, Startswithadream, Classic Joke, and Malinois complete the field.

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