Daily to Derby

Everything You Need for Saturday

We went live last night with the Preakness Final Answers show. If you want to know how we're playing this race, this is it.

👉 Watch: Preakness Wagering Menu — PTF and Pete Rotondo

👉 Full Preakness Hub — inthemoneypodcast.com/preakness

Bill Mott Told Riley to Run

The man who said "nobody talks about the Preakness" told his own son to enter it.

DRF's David Grening reported that Riley Mott consulted his father before entering Incredibolt in the Preakness. Bill Mott's response: "He pushed me to do it. He was in agreement. He said, 'Run that horse back in there if you feel like he's doing good.'"

Make of that what you will.

👉 Read: Riley Mott Consulted Dad Before Entering Incredibolt in Preakness (DRF)

Maryland May Match the $85 Million

The Baltimore Sun broke a significant story Wednesday: Maryland is seriously exploring its right under state law to match Churchill Downs' $85 million deal to acquire the Preakness Stakes' intellectual property rights. Five sources confirmed the state is performing due diligence. The deadline to match is the third week of June.

The logic is straightforward: Maryland is spending $400 million to rebuild Pimlico. Owning the building but leasing the name of the race from a third party — potentially a competitor — is a vulnerable position. Former Maryland Jockey Club CEO Joe De Francis compared it to holding the deed to a home.

This has implications well beyond Saturday. Whoever owns the Preakness IP has leverage over the calendar — and over whether the Triple Crown spacing ever changes. Randy Moss told us last week that Churchill Downs "is not in the business of investing $85 million and just sitting back and watching nothing happen." If Maryland matches, they control the brand. If they don't, Churchill does.

👉 Read: Maryland Explores Ownership of Preakness Brand for $85M (Baltimore Sun)

The Scene at Laurel

Alibi Breakfast is today at Laurel Park — trainers and jockeys sharing stories ahead of the race. Black-Eyed Susan Day is tomorrow with three graded stakes.

HRN had a nice feature on Corona de Oro (PP11, 30-1). Dallas Stewart's colt missed the Derby as the one also-eligible who didn't draw in, then barely got into the Preakness after Express Kid and Smoovin Saturday scratched. Stewart: "Everybody's trying to see where they fit. We're going to find out Saturday at 7 o'clock. Hopefully on the lead at the end." John Velazquez, 54, gets the call.

👉 Read: Timing Is Everything for Corona de Oro (Horse Racing Nation)

There's been a lot of talk about Laurel's shorter stretch run — 1,089 feet versus Pimlico's 1,419 (the longest in America). The thinking is that it favors speed. I'm not buying it. In my experience, race shape trumps configuration. If 11 of 14 want the lead and they cook each other — and that's very possible Saturday — closers will run them down in 1,089 feet just as easily as 1,419. The pace is the story, not the building.

Danon Bourbon, who ran a strong fifth in the Kentucky Derby, has been found to have a knee fracture sustained in the race. Trainer Ikezoe confirmed the news via Netkeiba. He'll undergo bone chip removal surgery at the Shadai Clinic in Hokkaido and is expected to miss the rest of 2026.

👉 Three Lines, One Race: Where the Smart Money Disagrees

👉 On the Lead — Daisy Phipps Pulito on 100 Years of Phipps Stable

👉 The Draw Is Set — and Another Favorite Is Gone

👉 What Does the Data Say About the Triple Crown Conversation

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