With the second jewel of the Thoroughbred Triple Crown on tap for Saturday, May 16, First Tracks Cumberland will host its own $7,000 USD Cumberland Preakness with a field of seven pacers going behind the gate in race 10 over a special distance of 10 furlongs. The 12-race card carries a special 2:45 p.m. post time to accommodate wagering on all the day’s action from Laurel Park.
Venice Blue Chip is the 5-2 morning line favourite in the Cumberland Preakness from post two and will have Walter Case Jr. in the sulky. Trained by Mark Harris for Bangor, Maine owners Derek Robishaw and Gayle Harris, the five-year-old daughter of Lather Up won 11 of 44 races last year, but is still searching for her first seasonal trip to victory lane. The fillies and mares pacing event will be contested at a 1-1/4-mile distance.
The second and third choices in the Cumberland Preakness are Hungry Lady (Wally Watson) at 3-1 from post six and Holymotherofmoses (Dave Ingraham) as 7-2 from post four. Both mares are coming off of victories in their respective last starts in optional $4,000 USD claimers.
The co-feature of the afternoon is the $7,000 USD Winners Over Pace in race eight, pitting Vel Trust In Time (Aaron Hall), who is the 5-2 early favourite and will be saddled with the outermost post seven, against former Maine Sire Stakes star So Rock N Roll (Heath Campbell), the 3-1 second choice from post six.
On Saturday, the exotic wagering action starts with a Pick-5 in the opener, then the Pick-4 is set for the last four races on the program (races nine through 12) and the Pick-3 begins in race 10 -- all boast a low 16 per cent takeout. In addition, the 20-cent Superfecta is available in races four, six and eight, along with a Pentafecta in races five and the finale.
Doors will open at 12 noon for the special Preakness day program.
Of course, First Tracks Cumberland will hold its regular Friday, May 15 card at the usual 12:15 p.m. post time, with nine races on that program.
(With files from First Tracks Cumberland)