Cruz has won with four of 12 starters to date, while Perez has three winners. Each is listed on one favorite on Friday and another on Sunday.

A bevy of riders are just behind with two wins, and of that group, it might be J. D. Acosta who’s best positioned to make a run at the top spot. He could have as many as 20 mounts in the first three days of the weekend, and on Friday and Saturday, four of his mounts are morning line favorites.

On the trainer side of the ledger, Claudio Gonzalez has four wins. That’s double his nearest pursuers, as Hugh McMahon, Jerry Robb, and Kieron Magee have two each. Magee, notably, is two-for-two.

Gonzalez has 11 runners entered over the first three days of the weekend, and three of them are favored. The two-win edge and high volume of runners in the entries puts Gonzalez in the catbird seat to win the title.

Friday’s Timonium card features two allowance races, including a second-level allowance/optional claimer for older runners going 1 1/16 miles. The Jamie Ness-trained Glory Song, fresh off an allowance win at Parx, is the 5-2 morning line favorite and will have Carlos Lopez up.

Saturday’s card is topped by a first-level allowance/optional claiming race for two-year-old fillies going about 6 ½ furlongs. It looks to be a wide-open affair, with Buff My Boots the lukewarm 7-2 morning line favorite. Acosta will ride for John Salzman, Jr.

The Friday, Saturday, and Sunday cards all have nine races. Post time is 12:40 p.m.