Tuley’s Takes – 2026 Black-Eyed Susan Day at Laurel Park:
Even though Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo won’t be given the chance to go for the Triple Crown, we’re still excited about Preakness Weekend in the Tuley’s Take home office. The Preakness is still a “Classic” American horse race, even though it’s not being run this year at its traditional home at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore due to a major reconstruction project and instead at nearby Laurel Park.
The Preakness is the second jewel of the Triple Crown, so the Derby winner’s quest is usually the No. 1 storyline, but the race still has relevance in years where the Derby champ skips the race as it often sets up a rematch in the Belmont in three weeks or later in the summer at the Haskell or Travers or even the Breeders’ Cup Classic in fall as a natural rivalry can evolve for the rest of their 3-year-old campaigns for the Eclipse Award to the best in the class. It doesn’t always go to the Derby winner.
But we’re also excited for the undercard on Saturday and today’s focus on Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan (for 3-year-old fillies) and the undercard, as we still have a lot of public money in the pools and overlays to be found to try to make money on these days, even if we don’t have the winner of the main events.
So, let’s look at Friday’s menu, and I’ll be back Friday for Saturday’s Preakness Day card.
Grade 3, Miss Preakness Stakes
Friday, Laurel Park Race 6, 3:20 p.m. ET
Like the Black-Eyed Susan, this early race on the card is for 3-year-old fillies, but it’s for sprinters at six furlongs. #1 Little Miss Curlin is the 9-5 morning-line favorite with #3 Lights Out Leni the second choice at 5-2, but I’ve got my eye on #4 Getting Closer (20-1) or #6 Late Night Text (10-1) to steal this on the lead.
The only problem I have with these two (except they both might compromise each other’s chances if they duel each other into the ground) is they both only have maiden wins their last time out, and it took both of them six chances to find the winner’s circle. However, young 3-year-olds certainly have the right to improve this time of year, so I’ll take my chances at juicy odds. I’ll also box them with the favorites in case they get run down late (but hopefully at least sticks around to hit the board and boost the exotic payoffs)
Best Bets: #4 Getting Closer and #6 Late Night Text to Win and Place (only Place if double-digit odds). Box in exotics with #1 Little Miss Curlin and #3 Lights Out Leni.
Ungraded, Hilltop Stakes
Friday, Laurel Park Race 9, 3:54 p.m. ET
The $125,000 Hilltop Stakes is also for 3-year–old fillies, but for turf runners. I usually just stick to the Graded stakes on the undercard on major race days, but value can be found everywhere, and I think I have it with #4 Siouxse, 12-1 in a seven-horse field.
#2 Ultimate Love is the prohibitive chalk at 4-5 as she’s 3-for-4 lifetime with her only loss in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last fall as the 7-2 favorite. She is certainly the most accomplished filly in the field, but #4 Siouxse stands out for me among the lesser-raced members of her class. She broke her maiden in the last race of her 2-year-old season and the first-time 3-year-old has been brought along slowly by trainer Graham Motion, but she certainly has the right to take another big step forward in her seasonal debut and should be sitting just off the pace again at a nice price.
Best Bets: #4 Siouxse to Win and Place.
Grade 3, Pimlico Special
Friday, Laurel Park Race 12, 5:37 p.m. ET
The Pimlico Special (even though it’s being held at Laurel) looks like a wide-open, well-matched race with six of the seven entrants between 5-2 and 6-1 with a lukewarm favorite in #2 Navajo Warrior, who is an impressive 8-for-16 in his career but with no graded-stakes victories. He looks like the most likely winner, but really, I think you could put all six top contenders in a hat and be equally likely to pull any of them out as the victor.
But that’s not how we bet. And my eyes keep going to the longshot on the outside looking in, #5 Xcellent Start at 30-1. If you ask me, he’s got as good a chance as any of the others, but we’re going to get a much better price. This is also his graded stakes debut, but he does have some back class with four wins in 2025 before a dry spell. He did win an optional claiming race over this course back in March to get back on track (at this track). He lost his last two, but the better finish was third in an ungraded stakes again on this track on April 4. He should be well off the pace early, but if all those other contenders run each other into the ground, Xcellent Start should be closing late to pick up the pieces.
Best Bets: #5 Xcellent Start to Win and Place.
Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan
Friday, Laurel Park Race 13, 6:14 p.m. ET
#7 Jumping the Gun is the 3-1 morning-line favorite and has finished in the money in all six career races, though she’s a vulnerable chalk in my mind as she won her first three races but as failed in her last three, including her first and only prior graded stakes start in December and then in a non-graded stakes over this track in her 3-year-old debut in April.
This race sets up very interestingly with #5 Braken Poppa (7-2) probably setting the early fractions and looking very dangerous on the lead. There are several stalkers and then some closers with a chance to pass tiring horses late if the race falls apart. That’s where I find my top choice in #2 Ivy Girl (15-1), who closed from the clouds at 26-1 to defeat Jumping the Gun and another runner in this race, #9 A.P.’s Girl, in their last race over this track. I can see that same scenario happening again.
Another filly I fear is #10 My Missy Mo (7-2), who should be in contention throughout, assuming jockey Tyler Gaffalione gets her into her regular stalking position from the outside post. I also like one other longshot in #6 Haute Diva (15-1) if she runs back to her form from December and January.
Best Bets: #2 Ivy Girl to Win and Place (and #6 Haute Diva to Win if double-digit odds). In exotics boxing those with #5 Braken Poppa, #7 Jumping the Gun and #10 Miss Missy Mo.
