Lloyds Logic, Tax Code square off in seasonal debuts

Lloyds Logic is the horse to beat in the Preakness Day allowance feature at Emerald Downs. Although unable to win as a 3-year-old, Lloyds Logic figures a tough customer when making his 2024 bow going six furlongs for trainer Tom Wenzel.

A son of The Factor owned by George Todaro, Lloyds Logic has sprinted in two of his three starts since taking the 2022 Gottstein Futurity. In each of his 2023 sprints, Lloyds Logic finished second to the fleet-footed Clovisconnection. The latter has three wins from four lifetime sprints on dirt and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 93 when winning the Harris Farms Stakes at Fresno last October.

Lloyds Logic gave Clovisconnection all he could handle in the Irish Day Stakes on July 16 at Emerald, and the colt has every right to improve considerably since he was so lightly raced last year.

The chief opposition to Lloyds Logic on Saturday is Tax Code, trained by Blaine Wright. The gelding also will be making his first start of the year. Tax Code had a strong 2023 campaign at Emerald while under the care of trainer Shelly Crowe.

Tax Code has every right to be a talented runner as his unraced dam is a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Enticed, a winner of $595,000. Tax Code’s second dam is $1.6 million earner It’s Tricky, a three-time Grade 1 winner who made 11 of her 14 starts in New York, winning eight of those races.

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Now a 5-year-old, Tax Code raced exclusively in the allowance ranks at Emerald last year, winning three of his five starts with two seconds.

“He hasn’t missed a beat [in the mornings] so far this year,” Wright said. “I’m looking forward to him getting his first start” of 2024.

Four others are scheduled to race in Saturday’s feature: Cool Papa G, trained by Justin Evans; Company’s Dream, trained by Vince Gibson; Mongolian Memory, trained by Scott Tubbs; and Coastal Jazz, trained by Frank Lucarelli.

Cool Papa G and Company’s Dream each went wire to wire in their last start, while Coastal Jazz, a last-out claim, won from a stalking position here May 4.

There is an abundance of early speed in the field, which gives the speedsters drawn toward the outside an advantage that could decide the pace battle, if not the contest itself.

Mild weather is expected for Saturday’s Preakness Day festivities with temperatures in the mid 60s and a minimal chance of rain. First post is at 1:30 p.m. Pacific, with the Preakness scheduled for 4 p.m.

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