The road to the 151st Preakness Stakes takes a significant turn this weekend, with two important prep races set to hand ambitious three-year-olds a direct route to the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Laurel Park and Oaklawn Park stage contests packed with emerging talent, proven local form and valuable opportunity.
A field of 10 has been declared for Saturday’s 45th running of the $150,000 Federico Tesio at Laurel Park, a mile-and-an-eighth examination that features four Triple Crown nominees: Chayton, Close the Gate, Code of Silence and Wild Warrior.
At Oaklawn Park, eight runners are entered for the $200,000 Bathhouse Row over the same distance, where Triple Crown nominees Crupper and Khon Han headline the field. Both races grant eligible connections an automatic berth into the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes on May 16 at Laurel Park.
The Tesio has long carried a special place on the spring calendar. Named after the celebrated Italian breeder, owner and trainer Federico Tesio, whose bloodlines continue to shape the modern Thoroughbred, the race has now offered a Preakness incentive for an 11th consecutive year. Twenty-four Tesio winners have gone on to contest the Preakness, with Pay Billy doing so most recently in 2025. Deputed Testamony remains the only horse to win both races, achieving the feat in 1983.
Among this year’s leading hopes is Chayton, a son of West Coast who arrives after recent all-weather success at Turfway Park for trainer Bill Morey. His latest start produced a convincing two-and-a-half-length allowance victory over a mile in March, suggesting stamina is beginning to match his natural speed.
Close the Gate represents local trainer John Salzman Jr. and brings solid Laurel Park experience. He made a striking impression when breaking his maiden by nearly 10 lengths in January before following up with placed efforts in both the Spectacular Bid and Miracle Wood.
Consistency has marked the career of Code of Silence. From eight starts, he has finished in the first three on seven occasions. Last season’s Maryland Juvenile winner has yet to score this year, though placed efforts in recognised local trials indicate he remains a serious player.
Wild Warrior may be the standard setter after edging Code of Silence by a neck in the Private Terms Stakes over 1 1/16 miles last month. Trained by Gary Capuano, he has won three of six starts and already boasts proven two-turn form. Capuano and Rose Petal Stable captured this race last year with Copper Tax.
This year’s Preakness carries added historical interest, as the classic will be staged away from Pimlico Race Course while redevelopment work continues ahead of a planned 2027 reopening. It marks the first time in more than a century the race has been held elsewhere.
The Bathhouse Row provides an equally intriguing alternative route. Introduced in 2019, the race has already produced several Preakness runners, including Red Route One, Mr. Big News and Laughing Fox.
Crupper steps into stakes company for the first time but has shown steady progress for breeder-owner Robert Zoellner and trainer Donnie Von Hemel. The Candy Ride colt broke through in February before finishing third against winners on his next appearance.
Khon Han, lightly raced and open to further improvement, has won two of three starts. After early promise at Gulfstream Park, he returned from a break to score decisively at Tampa Bay Downs in January, drawing clear by three lengths over an extended mile.
With automatic entry on offer and the Triple Crown trail beginning to narrow, both races promise more than routine spring stakes. They are auditions for one of American racing’s grandest stages, and for several of these colts, the next step could be the Preakness itself.
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