PREAKNESS WINNER SWISS SKYDIVER RETURNS

• Swiss Skydiver, the distaffer who last October became just the sixth filly to win the Preakness Stakes – something she accomplished by defeating Horse of the Year Authentic and recording the second-fastest Middle Jewel ever – will make just her second start since in the Grade1 Beholder Mile Saturday at Santa Anita Park. The Kenny McPeek trainee is the 8-5 morning line favorite and will have Robby Albarado in the irons.

HARPERS FIRST RIDE BACK IN ACTION

• Maryland-bred Harpers First Ride, runner-up for Top Midlantic-bred of 2020 honors, returns to action Saturday in the $500,000 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park. Trained last year at Laurel by Claudio Gonzalez, he’s since been sold to new connections and put in the barn of Robertino Diodoro. The Paynter gelding is 4-1 on the morning line and will have David Cohen up.

COLONIAL STAKES WINNER BOLDOR ALSO AT OAKLAWN

• Boldor, the Virginia-bred Munnings gelding who won the 2019 Punch Line Stakes at Colonial Downs, is 5-1 on the morning line in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes, a six-furlong sprint. David Cabrera will ride for trainer Steve Asmussen.

SONDE OF MUSIC UPSET IN CT ALLOWANCE

• Favored Sonde of Music chased the pace of Good Karma but simply couldn’t go with that rival. In the end, the Lee Couchenour-trained Sonde of Music settled for second behind Good Karma, who managed the 4 ½ furlongs in 52.58 seconds and paid $14.80 to win. The winner is trained by Ronney Brown. Sonde of Music, a homebred for Couchenour, has been first or second in nine of 10 career starts.

STAKES WINNERS AARON’S TAP, WILLIAM AND MARY HEADLINE CT SATURDAY FEATURE

• Aaron’s Tap, a stakes winner of more than $340,000, is the 9-5 morning line favorite in Charles Town’s Saturday feature, a $32,000 allowance contest. The Jeff Runco trainee will have 2,000-race winner Arnaldo Bocachica in the irons. Aaron’s Tap will have to contend with multiple stakes winner William and Mary, as well as stakes-placed rivals like Opera Nite, Fairweather Friend, and Rush to the Castle.

WIDE-OPEN ALLOWANCE TOPS LAUREL SUNDAY CARD

• Laurel Park’s Sunday feature is a second-level allowance in which three of the six horses are either 5-2 or 3-1 on the morning line, and all six are 8-1 or less. The Scott Lake-trained Trunk of Money is the 5-2 favorite, while Phil Schoenthal trainee Gifted Heart and Jamie Ness trainee Decoupage are both 3-1. Post time for the 5 ½-furlong contest is 4:15 p.m.

NEW LAUREL POST TIME

• With the arrival of Daylight Savings Time – we spring ahead in the wee hours Sunday morning – Laurel Park will move to a later post time. Starting Sunday, first post will now be 12: 40 p.m.