Best Horse Racing Bets Today | Laurel Park

With only two weeks to go before the 151st Kentucky Derby, there will be no more preps for the first Saturday in May. In the meantime, Laurel Park offers Preakness Preview Day. The excellent Saturday card of racing will feature five stakes races headlined by the $150,000 Federico Tesio. The local prep for the Preakness Stakes is topped by the impressive winner of the Private Terms Stakes, Pay Billy.

Other highlights from the card include a pair of turf stakes for older males and older females respectively, as well as the Weber City Miss Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. The local prep for the historic Black-Eyed Susan features a rematch of Moon Cache and Safe Trust, the top two finishers in last month’s Beyond the Wire Stakes, as they take on the highly regarded Reply. Without further ado, let's get to my analysis, top picks, and suggested wagers for this strong card of racing from Laurel Park.

Head over to TwinSpires to wager on our selection of horse racing bets. New users at TwinSpire can claim a $200 Sign-Up Bonus, today!

Race #7 Dahlia Stakes $100,000 One Mile Turf - 2:59 pm EST

As the class among a field of nine turf females, Sparkle Blue will be the one they all have to beat in Saturday’s $100,000 Dahlia Stakes on the Laurel Park turf course.

A multiple graded stakes winner, the 6-year-old daughter of Hard Spun has won stakes races at Laurel in each of the last two summers. With a decent effort against graded stakes company last month at Tampa Bay Downs in her seasonal debut, the millionaire turf mare should be ready to roll here for trainer Graham Motion. 

One of the mares capable of giving Sparkle Blue a stern test in the one mile affair is the Mike Stidham-trained Tufani. A winner of 6-of-14 lifetime, the turf specialist comes into this test off a very good effort when second in the Tom Benson Memorial at Fair Grounds last month. Like the favorite, she does her best running from off the pace.

Others who merit respect in the Dahlia include Cut From Class and Fantastical. The former is a local runner who ran a very good race at Laurel when second to Sparkle Blue in last summer’s Big Dreyfuss Stakes. While the latter brings in sharp allowance form from Kentucky. I cannot look past the class in this one, however. Sparkle Blue will be my top pick.

My Plays

• $20 Exacta - Sparkle Blue over Tufani = $20

• $10 Exacta - Tufani over Sparkle Blue = $10

Visit TwinSpires and Get $200 Sign-Up Bonus

Race #9 Weber CIty Miss Stakes $150,000 1 1/16-Miles Dirt - 3:58 pm EST

After a battling 1-2 finish in the local Beyond the Wire Stakes, Safe Trust and Moon Cache will renew their rivalry when they face a pair of promising fillies in Saturday’s $150,000 Weber City Miss Stakes on Saturday at Laurel Park. 

One of those promising fillies, Reply, looks like the likely favorite in the prep for next month's Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. Owned by Mike Repole and trained by Brittany Russell, the daughter of Curlin was purchased for $450,000 as a yearling and looked good in winning her debut at Colonial Downs five weeks ago at Colonial Downs.

The other promising, young filly in the field comes from the same barn. The Russell-trained Complexity Jane is officially undefeated in two starts, although she was placed first via disqualification in her last. After a nice debut win at Laurel, she set all the pace before fading to second late in her second career start, but was awarded the win by the stewards

As for Safe Trust and Moon Cache, who ran to a nose finish last time and then had the order changed via disqualification, I will go with Safe Trust as the one I like better. A consistent runner with a very good record at Laurel, she came back from the tough race in the Beyond the Wire to easily win an allowance sprint last week. I like the quick turnaround. Safe Trust is my top pick.

My Play

• $20 Win & Place - Safe Trust = $40

Claim $200 Sign-Up Offer at TwinSpires

Race #10 Henry S. Clark Stakes $100,000 One Mile Turf - 4:30 pm EST

A winner over the course and proven at the one mile trip, Neat looks like a deserving favorite when he takes on nine other older turf males in Saturday’s $100,000 Henry S. Clark Stakes at Laurel Park.

A four-time stakes winner since breaking his maiden at Laurel in the fall of 2023, three of Neat’s stakes victories have come at the one mile distance that he will see on Saturday. Trained by Rob Atras, the 4-year-old Constitution colt has lost his only start this year, but there is no shame in losing by 3 1/4-lengths in Grade 1 company.

Chief among his competition in the Clark will be the returning Maryland-bred Fulmineo. Away since September, he is also a multiple stakes winner who is good at the one mile distance. Second in his only previous start at Laurel, the son of Bolt d’Oro will need to come out running for trainer Arnaud Delacour.

Another one who should get plenty of betting support on Saturday is Signator. Experienced on dirt for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, the 5-year-old took to the turf last time out, rallying for an allowance victory at Tampa Bay Downs in his first career start on the surface. I like the class of the turf miler Neat best here. He is my top pick.

My Play 

• $20 Daily Double Part Wheel - Neat with Pay Billy and Kentucky Outlaw = $40

Register at TwinSpires for $200 Bonus

Race #11 Federico Tesio Stakes $150,000 1 1/8-Miles Dirt - 5:00 pm EST

A strong winner of the Private Terms Stakes over the track four weeks ago, Pay Billy will look to make it two in a row when he tops a field of ten Preakness hopefuls in Saturday’s $150,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park.

A son of the champion Improbable, Pay Billy is a nose shy of winning four straight at Laurel. Trained by Michael Gorhman, he broke his maiden in his fourth try in December. This year, he was a romping allowance winner before just missing in the Miracle Wood Stakes. He kept his improvement going last time with a 3 1/2-length score in the Private Terms.

Other horses of note in the 9-furlong Tesio include the stakes winners Studlydoright and Sacred Thunder, as well as Surfside Moon, who ran second to Captain Cook in New York’s $250,000 Withers Stakes in his most recent start. Of the trio, Surfside Moon could get the most betting support off his strong effort at the distance in New York.

Just a Fair Shake, who has won two of three at Laurel, and the unbeaten Kentucky Outlaw also deserve attention. The latter will ship in from Parx where he was an easy winner of a maiden and an allowance in his only two starts. With strong early speed, he could be tough to catch. I will side with Pay Billy to get by him, however. Pay Billy is my top pick.

My Plays

• $5 Exacta Part Wheel - Pay Billy over Kentucky Outlaw, Surfside Moon, Just a Fair Shake, and Studlydoright = $20

• $10 Exacta Box - Pay Billy andKentucky Outlaw = $20

Grab $200 Sign-Up Bonus at TwinSpires