Pimlico Special

Only six have been entered to Friday’s $500,000 Pimlico Special H. (G1), and
trainer Barclay Tagg is contemplating scratching FUNNY CIDE (Distorted Humor) in
favor of the William Donald Schaefer H. (G3) on Saturday. Regardless of whether
five or six horses head to the starting gate, WANDERIN BOY (Seeking the Gold) is
the one to catch in the 1 3/16-mile event. The 117-pound highweight, Wanderin
Boy exits a pair of terrific efforts at Keeneland, winning an allowance by 10
lengths before taking the Ben Ali S. (G3) by 5 1/4, and earned whopping BRIS
Speed ratings of 120 and 113, respectively.

Wanderin Boy defeated a solid field when wiring the 2005 Mineshaft H. (G3) in
only his fourth career start but was sidelined following an unplaced finish in
the New Orleans H. (G2) at Fair Grounds next out. The five-year-old returned to
the races 10 months later at Gulfstream this winter and needed a couple of
starts, including a decent third to Bandini (Fusaichi Pegasus), before finding
his best form. We know that the speed-favoring Keeneland track gave him an edge, but Wanderin Boy proved his class last year while still inexperienced and looks much
improved this season. He worked five furlongs in a bullet :59 3/5 last week over
the usually deep Oklahoma training track in preparation for the Pimlico Special,
and jockey Javier Castellano should be able to slow down the pace on Friday.
They won’t catch him.

HARLINGTON (Unbridled) will draw plenty of support in his first Grade 1
attempt and brings a sterling five-for-six record into the race. A game neck
winner of the Gulfstream Park H. (G2) last out at the distance, the
four-year-old colt notched his second straight 105 Speed rating but didn’t face
the best company that afternoon. We expect him to keep improving for trainer
Todd Pletcher and expect him to eventually become a Grade 1 winner if he remains
healthy, but the late runner could have too much to do in the stretch to prevail
here.

WEST VIRGINIA (Tomorrows Cat) blew past Funny Cide to win the Excelsior
Breeders’ Cup H. (G3) last out, and the Pletcher charge could be one to
watch this season. He recorded a fine second in his lone previous attempt at
this distance, missing by only a neck in December’s Queens County H. (G3),
and registered a big Speed rating last time. West Virginia has been effective at
mostly lower levels throughout his career, but he may continue to show more at
five. His last race was encouraging, and he’s the longshot special.

WE CAN SEEK (Chi) (Seeker’s Reward) will enter the Pimlico Special on the
upswing for Mark Hennig, finishing a fast-closing second in the Skip Away H.
(G3) two starts back before taking a 1 1/4-mile allowance/optional claiming
event last out. The South American import struggled in his first four U.S.
appearances, but he’s grown acclimated to his surroundings and is a threat to
keep showing more. We Can Seek has earned triple-digit Speed ratings in his last
three outings as well as a 107 BRIS Late Pace number for his Skip Away effort,
and the late runner could challenge for a top-three placing under Rafael
Bejarano.

Funny Cide is one-for-two at Pimlico, winning the 2003 Preakness S. (G1) by 9
3/4 lengths, but he didn’t fire over a wet track in last year’s Pimlico Special.
The six-year-old gelding has notched more than $3.3 million in earnings, but he
dropped eight straight starts prior to recording a game win in the Kings Point
H. last out at Aqueduct. Funny Cide squared off against New York-breds that
afternoon and will face much stiffer company if Tagg elects to run in this spot,
and we won’t get too excited about his last score, even though it was nice to
see the champion return to the winner’s circle. We’ll just watch him if he heads
to the gate here.

Uruguayan Triple Crown winner INVASOR (Arg) (Candy Stripes) finished a
respectable fourth to Discreet Cat (Forestry) in the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) last
out and will make his first U.S. appearance on Friday for trainer Kiaran
McLaughlin. It’s probably best to give him a race in this spot.