Mark Cramer
C & X Report

PREAKNESS
Now if we can only get our exotic inclusion up to second instead of third (as was the case with Denis of Cork at 27-1).
My other horse in the Preakness against you-know-who is ICABOD CRANE, henceforth known as IC. IC defeated Mint Lane in the Federico Tesio. Mint Lane is a competitive horse with a stakes future. Mint Lane came back to finish a spirited second in the Peter Pan, after carving out a 110.2 fraction. It was really a winning race but he got caught by a Japanese monster.
IC has a right to improve, and is the home-field horse for flat-bet-profit trainer Graham Motion.
Both Hey Byrn and Gayego could move up in this field, but the one who has a right to improve is KENTUCKY BEAR since he’s not yet a proven loser and his Fountain of Youth fiasco was due to the fact that it was only his second career start.
But the “different horse” is ICABOD CRANE, facing the very legit favorite.
DIXIE STAKES, Race 10
SHAKIS thoroughly outclasses this field, for flat-bet-profit trainer McLaughlin, and she has an asset aboard her in Alan Garcia. In this weak Gr II, SHAKIS is the only mare to have won at this level.
However, I see an improving mare who could challenge SHAKIS at better odds, so strictly because of the projected improved odds, I’ll place SALINJA on top. (Salinja has suffered some degree of seconditis so she can be used in the place hole as well.)
Here’s what I like:
(1) she improved with front wraps;
(2) in that improved race she defeated National Captain, who she’d lost to twice before and who then came back to win following the defeat to Salinja;
(3) there’s hardly any pace in this field and that could work in favor of the early pace mare Salinja and against the closer Shaklis;
(4) Salinja has a local trainer, and a good one.
Stay close is another local threat with a super trainer and a love for the local turf course, though she may prefer the mile over the mile and an eighth.