Preakness berth on the line in Federico Tesio Stakes

An automatic entry in the May 18 Preakness S. (G1) at Pimlico is at stake in Saturday’s $125,000 Federico Tesio S. at Laurel Park. A well-matched field of 11 sophomores will vie in the 1 1/8-mile contest in what is a challenging handicapping puzzle. I will give top billing to the Jane Cibelli-trained #10 Inveigled (9-2) with Mychal Sanchez in the silks. 

Federico Tesio Wagers

• $15 win and place #10 Inveigled ($30)
• $8 exacta box 7-10 ($16)
• $2 trifecta 7,10 with 7,10 with 1,4,6,11 ($16)

By Enticed, the Indiana-bred has never run a poor race from seven lifetime runs to date. He gave a nice account of himself when fourth in two stakes races in Florida, including the Holy Bull S. (G3), and he had a perfect prep for Saturday when a fine second in the Private Terms S. on the oval last time out. 

Inveigled has the gate presence to be forwardly placed despite drawing wide, and I expect him to track dueling leaders from the second flight prior to being asked for his best at the top of the stretch. The dark bay will hold on late in his second run off the layoff. 

The early tempo will almost surely be hot and contested which will aid Kenny McPeek’s #7 Lat Long (5-2) in my view. The Liam’s Map colt is not slow nor a one-run closing type, but the sophomore likes a target and he will move forward after going in deep with a strong Blue Grass S. (G1) field off the bench most recently. The Kentucky-bred three-year-old smoked a bullet half-mile at Churchill Downs March 31, and if he runs to his solid third-place result in the Lecomte S. (G3) at Fair Grounds in January, then the colt will be right there at the finish in his local debut. Horacio Karamanos has the riding assignment. 

I’ll toss in three-time stakes winner #11 Copper Tax (7-2), Brittany Russell’s #6 Mission Beach (10-1), Miracle Wood S. fourth #4 Startswithadream (20-1), and Private Terms S. third #1 Speedyness (6-1) for the vertical exotics.