2016 Pimlico Special Handicap Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The Grade 3 Pimlico Special Handicap comes our way this Friday, May 20 from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore Maryland. A purse of $300,000 will be on the line for horses three years olds and upward willing to go 1 1/16 miles on Pimlico's dirt track.

A field of eight have been confirmed for the Pimlico Special - race 7 on Pimlico's Friday schedule. Post time is 2:39 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all eight combatants for this Grade 3 stakes.

2016 Pimlico Special Handicap Race Preview at Pimlico

Stanford 8-5 - Todd Pletcher trained colt has four wins and four runner-up finishes in 11 career starts. He enters off a terrific gate-to-wire win in the Grade 2 $1.25 million Charles Town Classic April 23 which followed consecutive runner-up finishes - the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap March 5 and the Grade 3 Fred W Hooper Stakes at Gulfstream Park February 6. Before that were a fifth in the minor Curlin Stakes at Saratoga July 31 and a nice win in the minor Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park July 11. He also had a respectable second in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in March, 2015. Stanford has placed in six of his last seven starts overall and will be after his second straight graded stakes score Friday. Javier Castellano has the mount on the morning line favorite from gate 2 - if he doesn't scratch in favor of the Met Mile June 11.

Page McKenney 5-2 - Mary Eppler trained gelding has 44 career starts with 16 wins, 13 seconds and four third place finishes and has placed in a staggering 24 straight races over the last 25 months ahead of this weekend. He finished second behind Commissioner in this race last year and went on to a third in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap in June. He enters off a respectable second behind Stanford last time out in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic April 23 which followed a terrific four race win streak - the Grade 3 General George Stakes at Laurel Park February 15, the minor Native Dancer Stakes on that track January 2, the minor Swatara Stakes at Penn National November 25 and the minor Richard W. Small Stakes at Laurel Park November 14. Page McKenney has been as competitive as they come and hopes to keep an impressive run going with Horacio Karamanos in the reins from the rail of the morning line second choice.

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Noble Bird 3-1 - Mark Casse pupil looked great at this time last year - he won two Allowance Optional Claiming races, finished second in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs in May, 2015 and went on to win the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs in June. He hasn't been great since however placing in just one of four starts. Last time out was a disappointing last of eight as favorite in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs May 6 after a second in the Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland April 14, a sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming in February and a ninth in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes in August. Noble Bird was impressive in the past but looks to snap out of an unflattering funk from post 7. Julien Leparoux rides.

Golden Glint 10-1 - Mary Eppler trained gelding has 22 career starts with six wins, seven seconds and two third place finishes. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score by three lengths at Laurel Park April 29 after a seventh and a third respectively in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races earlier this year. Before that was a fourth in the minor John B. Campbell Stakes in February and a second in the minor Native Dancer Stakes in January - his career-best effort. Golden Glint looks for his first stakes score Friday and enters in so-so form. Trevor McCarthy gets the call from gate 4.

Idolo Porteno 12-1 - Argentinean bred Ignacio Correas trainee has four wins, a second and a third place finish in 12 career starts and was at his best at the end of 2014 at home when he won the Group 1 Carlos Pellegrini and the Group 1 Dardo Rocha. He has just four starts since - a fourth and a fifth in Group 1 races at home in 2015, a respectable third in his North American debut - the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park March 19 and a disappointing last of eight last time out in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland April 23. Idolo Porteno has been in there with some good competition in the past and hopes his success from Argentina translates to his first win on 17 months. Florent Geroux will be in the saddle from post 5 hoping to accomplish that goal.

Savoy Stomp 15-1 - Todd Pletcher trained colt has three wins and a third place finish in nine career starts. He has yet to place in four stakes tries but he won two Allowance races the last year. Last time out was a fourth in the Grade 3 Skip Away Stakes at Gulfstream Park April 2 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score in March, a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming in January and a seventh in the minor City of Laurel Stakes in November. Savoy Stomp has hit the board in just one of his last four starts overall - in less-than-spectacular form ahead of this week. John Velazquez has been tabbed with changing his fortunes from post 3.

Hesinfront 15-1 - Dale Romans trainee has five wins, a second and three third place finishes in 27 career starts and looks to place in graded stakes company for the first time - in his ninth try. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Churchill Downs May 7 which followed a fifth in the Grade 3 Skip Away Stakes April 2, a sixth in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap March 5 and a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream Park January 28. He has placed in just three of his last 13 starts overall - not great. He enters off his best result in some time however with Luis Saez guiding him from gate 6.

Warrioroftheroses 30-1 - has eight wins, three seconds and five third place finishes in 38 career starts. He is a multiply stakes placed but has yet to show up in graded stakes action finishing off-the-board in all five tries. He enters off a sixth in an Allowance March 19 after an eighth in the Grade 3 General George Handicap February 15 and an OK third in the minor Native Dancer Stakes in January. Warrioroftheroses has placed in just one of his last five starts and looks for his first win since an Allowance Optional Claiming in August when he leaves from the outside gate 8 with a yet-to-be-determined jockey in the reins.

2016 Pimlico Special Handicap Entries & Odds

Race 7 on Pimlico's Friday card with a Post Time of 2:39 PM.