Gimme Da Lute back on short rest in Chick Lang

BALTIMORE – Mike Pegram, Bob Baffert, and their peeps call the purses of undercard races on big-event days “beer money.” True to form, one of the horses they shipped to Pimlico for Preakness Day is Gimme Da Lute, who stands an excellent chance of keeping the Coors Light flowing when he runs in the $100,000 Chick Lang Stakes.

Gimme Da Lute earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure two starts back and is among the core of favorites in a well-matched field of 11 3-year-olds entered in the six-furlong Lang, which goes as the 10th race Saturday (post at 4:04 p.m. Eastern).

Bred and owned by Pegram in California in partnership with Paul Weitman and Karl Watson, Gimme Da Lute will have Martin Garcia aboard when breaking from post 7. Three races later, Garcia will ride Dortmund for Baffert in the 140th Preakness.

Two others in the lineup earned similarly high Beyers last month: Blame Jim got a 99 in an allowance victory at Parx Racing, and Victory Is Sweet recorded a 100 in an Aqueduct maiden race.

The Chick Lang is named for the late “Mr. Preakness,” who was widely credited with helping increase the popularity of the Preakness during his lengthy tenure as Pimlico general manager. Lang died in March 2010.

Key contenders

Gimme Da Lute (Last 3 Beyers: 91-100-84)

* Like stablemates American Pharoah and Dortmund, he turns back in distance on just two weeks’ rest after last racing at Churchill Downs, where he finished a creditable third in the Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

Blame Jim (Last 3 Beyers: 99-63-86)

* Rail-drawn Repole homebred didn’t beat much at 1-5 at Parx, but there are some recognizable names in his past performances such as Bold Conquest, Stanford, and El Kabeir.

Holy Boss (Last 3 Beyers: 93-94-78)

* Steve Asmussen-trained colt is one of just two in here (with Ackeret) to win a non-restricted stakes, having captured the Bachelor at Oaklawn for his third career triumph.

Victory Is Sweet (Last 2 Beyers: 100-41)

* He lacks the experience of the others, but the eye-catching score in just his second start points out his potential.