[boxify cols_use =”3″ cols =”5″ position =”right” order =”none” box_spacing =”5″ padding =”3″ background_color =”gray” background_opacity =”10″ border_width =”1″ border_color =”blue” border_style =”dotted” height =”555″ ]UPCOMING STAKES

Saturday

Charles Town

    • Its Binn Too Long S. (R8) — WV-bred fillies, 4 1/2 furlongs

Monmouth Park

    • Majestic Light S. (R11) — Three years old and up, 1 mile 70 yards

Parx Racing

    • My Juliet S. (R7) — Fillies and mares, 3yo and up, 6 furlongs

Sunday

Monmouth Park

    • Monmouth Beach S. (R11) — Fillies and mares, 3yo and up, 1 mily 70 yards[/boxify]

The Preakness may be over, but there’s still plenty happening around the mid-Atlantic.  Here’s what’s On Tap:

  • There are four stakes this weekend, with two at Monmouth Park and one each at Parx and Charles Town.  
    • In the Its Binn Too Long at Charles Town for West Virginia-bred fillies, two horses will look to extend impressive winning streaks.  Favored Joanne Elizabeth, who’s 2-1, has won four straight and five of six — but only one at the race’s distance of 4 1/2 furlongs.  She’ll have to contend with 5-2 Practical Ideas, who’s won two straight and three of four, including the Eleanor Casey Memorial.
    • Parx Racing hosts the My Juliet for older fillies and mares going six furlongs, and Risky Rachel gets the nod as the 8-5 favorite.  She’d won two consecutive stakes before her last, a disastrous eighth place finish on the slop against New York-breds.  If she falters, though, there are plenty of other ways to go.
    • On Saturday at Monmouth, a compact field of six will tackle the Majestic Light.  Favored Itsmyluckyday (9-5), second in last year’s Preakness, found the going more congenial last out when he dropped into ungraded company; he’ll try to make it two straight.  Speedy Warrioroftheroses (8-1) will look to clear off and take them gate to wire, but if the pace heats up, closers like Behemoth (6-1), Golden Itiz (3-1), and Code West (7-2) could benefit.
    • The Monmouth Beach is featured Sunday at that track, with Lady Cohiba a lukewarm 3-1 favorite; six horses are lined between 3-1 and 6-1.
  • Only one horse from Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll is in action this weekend.  Daring Dancer, fifth on the list of three year-olds, is the 9-5 favorite in the Wonder Again S. at Belmont on Sunday.

The weekend’s featured race from Pimlico is the ninth, a second-level allowance for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the lawn:

  1. Green Wave Girl — Maryland-bred runner is winless in eight tries on the Pimlico lawn, not a promising place to start.  Last out was her first of ’14, and she’s shown the ability to improve in her second off the layoff — but will it be enough?
  2. Really Right — Daughter of Pleasantly Perfect didn’t much enjoy her trip to Gulfstream Park this winter, running up the track twice, but that’s a surface not every horse appreciates.  Wouldn’t be a shock to see her improve here.
  3. Medea — Tres Abbott trainee gave a good accounting of herself in two tries at Gulfstream and has a North American record of 6-2-2-2. Ran competitively against Triple Arch, most recently third in the G3 Gallorette at Pimlico, and could be tough here.
  4. Penthouse Party — Mary Eppler trainee figures to be up against it here; her only turf wins are against lifetime claiming company.
  5. Dido — Graham Motion runner has won two straight since returning from a lengthy layoff; show horse from last returned victorious in claiming company at Northlands.
  6. Charli Sunshine — Main track only.
  7. Vicky Ticky Tavie — Daughter of Eddington had perhaps a useful return to the races last out when running fourth sprinting against starter allowance company. Ham Smith horse broke her maiden on the lawn, but that remains her only win in seven grass tries.
  8. Here’s d’Bride — Top turf rider Horacio Karamanos gets the call for Carlos Garcia aboard a filly who’s won six times on the grass and is here for a $20,000 tag.  Enters off a seventh-place finish against Florida-bred stakes company.  A tall order, perhaps, but with a rider who’s made a habit of scoring turf upsets.
  9. Mshomecomingqueen — Victor Carrasco gets aboard a runner who’s entering off three straight middling tries on the main track but should appreciate the return to the green stuff.  Owns three wins and five other in-the-money finishes in 10 turf tries and rates a look here.