2011 Preakness Stakes Undercard Preview Part One

The 2011 Preakness Stakes post position draw and morning-line was released yesterday and the entire day's card has also been announced – a number of high-profile stakes contests will be going off on the under card and race fans can look forward to the best day of the year at Pimlico. Many expect mascot Kegasus to provide a truly legendary day in the infield. Hopefully nobody jumps on the track to punch a horse again this year...

The card opens with a trio of allowance contests though I believe one of them is run as a short purse starter handicap contest. The initial stakes race on the day runs fourth and we're set to see the reappearance of the (in)famous Life At Ten (Malibu Moon) who caused a real controversy when not appearing to be at her best during the build up to the race – a fact confirmed by her jockey on live television – but was ultimately allowed to race anyway and was pulled up shortly after the start.

She'll be contesting the Grade 3 Allaire Dupont Distaff and appears likely to take a significant amount of money on the day. Currently priced at a 4/5 listing in the morning-line, you can expect many to have her singled in the last race of the early pick 4. Decelerator (Dehere) will be looking to avenge a disappointing run at Keeneland in the Grade 1 Vinery Madison Stakes where she finished a beaten sixth. D Wayne Lukas' mare is sits at a 5/1 price in the morning-line and looks a potential spoiler to Todd Pletcher's party.

The sixth race is the ungraded Chick Lang Stakes for three-year-old's going 6f. This one looks a much tougher contest with a number of fledgling contenders here without much between them in a rather lukewarm morning line. Vengeful Wildcat (Vindication) won an ungraded stakes contest at Monmouth a while back and has placed in a pair of Group 3 encounters. He seems to be getting a slight nod from the oddsmakers with a 3/1 early price tag. Escort (First Samurai) lines up at 7/2 right now and he is another of the many entrants on the day from Todd Pletcher's barn. Steve Asmussen's Chipshot (Peace Rules) looks to be good value around 10/1 as he looks to improve in his third start of the year.

Next up we've got the James W. Murphy Stakes – a 1m contest for three-year-old's on the Pimlico grass as another big field means some higher prices all around. No clear favourites here as this one draws a more up-and-coming field. Joes Blazing Aaron (Graeme Hall) seems to be getting the early edge and he's a Grade 3 winner dropping down to an ungraded contest. Well-bred, with heavy influences of Mr. Prospector and Danzig, he'll likely cling to that 5/2 listing he's sitting on right now.