Among 8 Stakes, 4 Graded, Worth $1.3M on Preakness Undercard

BALTIMORE – Defending champion Balnikhov, fellow millionaires Tawny Port and Trikari, and multiple graded-stakes winner Neat, on the cusp of reaching the milestone himself, are among 40 horses nominated to the $250,000 Dinner Party (G3) May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.

The 124th renewal of the 1 1/8-mile Dinner Party for 3-year-olds and up on the grass is among nine stakes, four graded, worth $1.3 million on the undercard of the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, to be run for the 150th time.

Pimlico’s oldest stakes race and the eighth-oldest in the country, the Dinner Party was contested at two miles for its 1870 debut, won by Hall of Famer Preakness. The distance has changed eight times over its history, returning to nine furlongs in 2023 for the first time since 2013.

Irish-bred Balnikhov rallied from last to register a 1 ½-length victory in the 2024 Dinner Party over Crabs N Beer, also nominated to make a return. The 6-year-old gelding has placed in three subsequent Grade 2 turf stakes and most recently ran ninth in the 1 ½-mile Elkhorn (G2) April 19 at Keeneland.

Tawny Port was a two-time graded-stakes winner on the dirt as a 3-year-old in 2022 and was seventh in the Kentucky Derby (G1) before being moved to the grass, where he has placed five times in graded-stakes, four of them by a neck or less. Trikari won four graded-stakes last year topped by the 1 3/16-mile Belmont Derby (G1) at Aqueduct and was third in the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) April 11 at Keeneland in his first start in nearly six months.

Neat is less than $80,000 from reaching millionaire status. Most recently fourth as the favorite in the one-mile Henry S. Clark April 19 at Laurel Park, the 4-year-old Constitution colt won the Transylvania (G3), Manila (G3) and Hall of Fame (G2) in a span of four starts last spring and summer.

Other Dinner Party nominees include multiple graded-stakes winners Endlessly and Fort Washington and multiple stakes winners Crystal Quest, Dataman, Fulmineo, Lord Bullingdon and Seminole Chief.

Booth, riding a three-race win streak capped by back-to-back victories in the Whitmore (G3) and Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park, tops 31 nominations to the $150,000 Maryland Sprint (G3) for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs. Others include Grade 1 winner Millikin, graded-stakes winners Dean Delivers and World Record, 15-time winners Concrete Glory and Spikezone, and Witty, a multiple stakes winner on both turf and dirt.

The $150,000 Gallorette (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/16 miles on the grass attracted 44 nominations led by multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire She Feels Pretty and graded-stakes winners Duvet Day, For Flying, Gimme a Nother, Kehoe Beach, No Mo Candy, Ocean Club, Pin Up Betty, Sparkle Blue and Waves of Mischief as well as Five Towns, runner-up to Fluffy Socks in 2024.

A trio of undefeated but untested 3-year-olds – Ancient World, Here Comes Francis and Moonlit Notion – join Southwest (G3) winner Speed King; multiple stakes winners Barbadian Runner, It’s Hammertime and Smoken Wicked; and stakes winner Keep It Easy, sixth behind Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sovereignty in the Fountain of Youth (G2) among 42 nominees for the listed $150,000 Chick Lang sprinting six furlongs.

Other grass stakes are the $125,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds and up going five furlongs, whose 45 nominees include the top three finishers from last year in Grooms All Bizness, Witty and Smooth B; and $100,000 James W. Murphy at one mile for 3-year-olds, which attracted 44 nominees led by Studlydoright, a multiple dirt stakes winner yet to run on turf, and Just a Fair Shake and Surfside Moon, respectively 2-3 in the April 19 Federico Tesio at Laurel Park behind Preakness (G1)-bound Pay Billy.

Most popular among horseman with 50 nominations is the $100,000 Spendthrift Farm Sir Barton to benefit the TAA for 3-year-old non-winners of an open sweepstakes going 1 1/16 miles. Prominent among them are Admiral Dennis, fourth in the Blue Grass (G1); Bestfriend Rocket, exiting the Arkansas Derby (G1); Grade 1-placed Filoso; Grade 3-placed Garamond; Just a Fair Shake and Surfside Moon; Virginia Derby runner-up Omaha Omaha; and Passion Rules, third in the Wood Memorial (G2).

Rounding out the Thoroughbred stakes action is the $125,000 Skipat for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting six furlongs which saw 37 horses nominated including defending champion and 2024 Barbara Fritchie (G3) winner Apple Picker, unraced since last August; multiple stakes-winning stablemates Carmelina and Disco Ebo; multiple graded-stakes winner Emery; 2024 Davona Dale (G2) winner Fiona’s Magic; Irish Maxima, who captured the April 5 Distaff (G3) to extend her win streak to three races; Ms. Bucchero, a winner of back-to-back Laurel stakes and Grade 2-winning millionaire Zeitlos.

Returning to the Preakness undercard is the $150,000 UAE President Cup (G1) for Arabian 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles.

Entries will be taken and post positions drawn for all Preakness Day races on Monday, May 12.