The second leg of the Triple Crown and as usual three legs of Weekend GamePlan plays. The big race of the day comes on dirt, but we’re seeking an all-turf coast-to-coast triple. Dinner Party Granting that Atone can bounce back after a dismal run in the Muniz Memorial (the trainer said he came out of the race sick), I still don’t like the horse at anything close to the listed price, 9-5, which seems about right. Atone finished third in this race a year ago (the Dinner Party since has been changed back to 1 1/8 miles), and while it was one thing to be run down by the Grade 2-class Set Piece, getting tagged by Tango Tango Tango suggests Atone didn’t even reach baseline performance level over this course. There’s no denying Hurricane Dream was visually impressive last month at Keeneland, but I think he’ll vie for favoritism with Atone rather than being co-second choice with Emmanuel (whom I don’t at all care for), as he is on the morning line. Hurricane Dream prospered when cut back from 1 1/4 miles to one mile last year, and I wonder about the added half-furlong from the Keeneland race, where Hurricane Dream benefited from a favorable setup in a race of lesser quality than this. I like the horse yet see him as a potential underlay. :: Get ready to bet the Preakness! Join DRF Bets and score a $250 Deposit Match + $10 Free Bet + Free PPs - Promo code: WINNING Trainer Graham Motion has two more entered, and Speaking Scout likely will be the next-shortest price. I’m not counting him out. The Maker’s Mark Mile wasn’t run to suit Speaking Scout, who prefers this nine-furlong trip in any case, and the way Up to the Mark won the Old Forester Turf Classic on Derby Day reinforced just how strong the top three were in the Maker’s Mark. Maybe I’m digging too deep, but I’m going with Motion’s third runner, Easter, who ought to be a very fair price. Easter was highly regarded enough as a French 3-year-old to make it into the 2000 Guineas, and the soft ground he caught in that race is not Easter’s cup of tea. Easter has shown flashes in all four of his American starts, and the two that came over 11 furlongs likely were too far for him. Back from a long layoff and cut back to a mile, he unleashed a very strong turn of foot to finally clear his first allowance condition last month at Aqueduct. Easter generally pulls too hard, and he did so again last out, but on the plus side he broke better and got into the race sooner than he had during 2022. The comeback should have taken the edge off the gelding, who might be capable of sticking closer to Atone on the lead than his past performances suggest. Let’s see if Easter can rise up and upset the Dinner Party. Jim McKay Turf Sprint That’s Right is the wrong price on the morning line, but I’d take half the listed 12-1 odds. While there are many pace factors in the Turf Sprint, including Nothing Better, who is likely to be sent from his rail draw, I believe That’s Right is the fastest of them, possibly even speedy enough to make a clear lead. Sometimes he goes too fast, as at Saratoga last summer, where he essentially ran like a runoff, while perhaps regressing after three sharp wins. That’s Right can handle 5 1/2 furlongs, but the shorter the better for the horse, and he’s perfect in three races over this five-furlong trip. :: Get ready for Santa Anita racing with DRF Past Performances, Picks, and Clocker Reports.  Mizdirection Elm Drive never has raced on turf, but my guess is she’s perfectly capable of transferring her dirt form. The filly was a top Southern California 2-year-old of 2021 and started her 3-year-old campaign well enough before a barn change and a move to the East Coast sent her off the rails. Back from an extended break, she didn’t have an easy trip in the off-turf Monrovia, forced into a claustrophobic inside pressing trip from post 1. It didn’t faze the filly. I thought she won with something left that day, and video of her April 30 work (she’s had two more since, no video) shows a filly ready to take a step forward, not back. She either leads or gets a sweet pressing trip, hopefully at 7-2 or higher. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.