How to bet the Beverly D. Preview Stakes

An octet of fillies and mares will run 1 1/16 miles on the outer Colonial Downs turf in the $125,000 Beverly D. Preview S. on Saturday. The affair features multiple horses who prefer to be on the lead, or up close in the early stages, which leads me to believe that the winner will come from off the pace in the event. Of the pair of stout closing types in the race, I’ll give a minor edge to the in-form #3 Five Towns (5-1), who came home a distant second over yielding ground in the Gallorette S. (G3) at Pimlico most recently. 

Beverly D. Preview Wagers

• $12 win and place #3 Five Towns ($24)
• $1 trifecta 1,3 with 1,3,8 with all ($24) 

One of two in the field for conditioner Graham Motion, the four-year-old bay had won two races in succession prior to that, led by a measured victory in the Dahlia S. at Laurel Park. She faces better in this one, but the Lord Kanaloa filly has been going well since arriving in the States for this season and will also have Jorge Ruiz in the irons, who has been doing good things when riding for Motion as of late. 

The second major closing contender is California import #1 Nadette (2-1) for trainer Neil Drysdale. Fourth in the Gamely S. (G1) last time out, the Team Valor color bearer annexed the Wilshire S. (G3) two back and the daughter of Outstrip has done much of her best work at similar distances in her lifetime. The French-bred mare is not a win machine, which makes her hard to back on top with confidence, but she will likely rally for a share with something close to her best showing. Regular pilot Hector Berrios comes in for the ride. 

#8 Thirty Thou Kelvin (8-1) is the wildcard in the field for me, so I will include her from the outside slot. The Kathleen O’Connell trainee bagged the Virginia Oaks on the course last summer and surely has plenty of ability. This Bolt d’Oro four-year-old has done her best work when racing on the front end, however, and I’m not sure if she can clear the cast unless she is sent hard from the break. The bay will be dangerous if she does so, however, while making her third run off the shelf. Trevor McCarthy has the assignment.