Trainer Dale Romans is optimistic about the return of Keep It Easy, who will be back in action this Saturday in the $150,000 Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. Although the colt’s last outing in the Fountain of Youth Stakes in March ended in disappointment, with a last-place finish after being eased, Romans is confident that his charge is ready to bounce back. He attributes the previous setback to a minor hind leg issue that affected the horse’s performance but confirms that the colt is now fit and showing promising signs in training.
The six-furlong sprint has attracted a competitive group of 11 three-year-olds. Keep It Easy, drawn in post position 6, is set to be ridden by Junior Alvarado and comes in as the second choice on the morning line at 4-1. Despite not training intensively during his time off, Romans notes the colt has regained form and is ready to compete. Known for his pedigree and sprinting ability, the son of Hard Spun is expected to relish the shorter distance, which plays to his natural speed.
The favorite heading into the race is One Nine Hundred, trained by Tom Morley and breaking from post 8 with Flavien Prat taking the reins. This colt is coming off a dominant maiden win and will be tested in stakes company for the first time. Close behind in the betting is Perfect Force, trained by the legendary D. Wayne Lukas, who enters off a fifth-place finish in the Pat Day Mile and is viewed as a strong contender after finding his stride in recent starts.
Another interesting entry is Chipotle, making his first appearance since being gelded. Trained by Michael Gorham, he’s had time off following his win at Laurel earlier in the year and appears to be in sharp condition based on recent workouts. Gorham believes the colt has matured with experience and now runs more consistently.
Also among the contenders is Normandy Coas, who showed his talent by winning the off-the-turf Palisades Stakes at Keeneland last month. His connections are encouraged by his recent form and are expecting a solid effort this weekend. The remainder of the field includes a diverse mix of lightly raced up-and-comers and seasoned runners, including Ancient World, Faster Gator, Retribution, Touchy, Tiny Lake, and Slam Notion, each bringing their own storylines and ambitions to this fast-paced event.
Saturday’s race is part of an action-packed card at Pimlico, headlined by the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes. With ten stakes races on the schedule and total purses of $3.3 million, it promises to be one of the premier days of racing on the calendar.
