Pick three links Pimlico Special, Dixie Stakes, Preakness

Pimlico Race Course will add a pick three to its wagering lineup linking the Pimlico Special on May 16 with the Dixie Stakes and Preakness Stakes on May 17, the track announced Wednesday.

The bet will have a 50-cent minimum and a 25.75 percent takeout, Pimlico said. The Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, is Pimlico’s biggest race.

The pick three is similar to a two-day bet offered by Churchill Downs that links the Kentucky Oaks one day before the Kentucky Derby to the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic and the Derby. Handle on that pick three last week was $782,595, according to charts.

Pimlico also announced Wednesday that a pick four May 16 including the Pimlico Special and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes would have a $250,000 guarantee. The early pick four May 17, linking races five through eight, will have a $350,000 guarantee, while the late pick four that includes the Preakness and links races nine through 12 will have a $1.5 million guarantee.