The biggest racing weekend of the year in Maryland is upon us and that means the Grade 2 $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Friday followed by the Grade 1 $1.5 million dollar on Saturday afternoon.

In addition to all of the wagering opportunities available daily at Pimlico Race Course, there is a multi-day Daily Double featuring each day’s main event.

Here are my thoughts on the two big races:

Race 11, Friday, Black-Eyed Susan Stakes

The mile and an eighth event for three-year-old fillies is led by 7-2-morning line favorite #3 Coach Rocks. The winner of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks two-back took a fair amount of support last time out in the Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks and had a chance when they turned for home, but tired late and finished a mid-pack seventh.

The daughter of Oxbow did not have an easy race in Louisville where she encountered traffic before they hit the stretch and even made contact with eventual runner-up Wonder Gadot. Even on normal rest I am not convinced she would beat this field and with the quick turn around time I find the lukewarm top choice worth taking a shot against on Friday.

I much prefer the chances of #4 Red Ruby for trainer Kellyn Gorder. The daughter of Tiznow brought a two-race win streak into the Grade 3 Honeybee at Oaklawn where she went off the 4 to 5 favorite. The Kentucky bred filly got off to a less than ideal start in that mile and a sixteenth event and was forced to chase runaway leader Amy’s Challenge throughout. She tired badly late and finished fourth.

I did not expect to see Red Ruby until this summer after she was scratched from the Fantasy Stakes due to minor cuts on her hind legs, but she must be doing quite well for her connections to bring her back in the Black-Eyed Susan when they bypassed a shot two weeks ago at the more prestigious Kentucky Oaks.

I look for jockey Paco Lopez, who takes over for Robby Albarado, to find a comfortable spot just off the early pace, get first run on her rivals from behind and have enough late to win her first graded stakes event.

Race 13, Saturday, Preakness Stakes

I wish I was more creative in this year’s Preakness, but it is hard to find reasons to be against #7 Justify. The winner brings a perfect 4 for 4 record into Baltimore and will be very tough to beat for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

If you want to make a case against the odds-on morning line favorite for the second leg of the Triple Crown you could hope that he regresses significantly in his fifth race in three months, but I find it hard to believe he is not ready to run another big one on Saturday. The 7-post should allow jockey to feel out the runners inside of him and either take command early or stalk just off the pace of an aggressive long shot drawn inside of him. Either way if he runs his race he should handle this group and head to New York with a shot at racing history.

Suggested Wager:

With a short priced favorite in the back leg of the two-race sequence it is imperative to play compact tickets in order to maximize your money spent. For that reason I will just play one cold Double and live and die with my top choices in the 2018 Black-Eyed Susan and Preakness.

$50 Daily Double

4-7

Total Budget = $50

Good luck in Baltimore this weekend!