Friday’s Preakness prelude at Pimlico co-features the Grade 2 $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and the tradition-rich Pimlico Special for older horses. They are part of a 6-stakes lineup on a 14-race card that gets underway at 11:30 am ET. A special Black-Eyed Susan / Preakness daily double will be offered on the Friday-Saturday features.

Horseplayers with Xpressbet and 1/ST BET can enjoy the 2-day $20,000 Exacta-Thon promotion on Friday and Saturday at Pimlico, as well as up to a $10 money-back special on win bets in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and Preakness Stakes.

Let’s meet the contenders for the 1-1/8 miles Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (Race 13):

#1-LIAM IN THE DUST: Graded stakes-placed in Churchill’s Pocahontas and Aqueduct’s Demoiselle last year, this Rodolphe Brisset trainee exits a runner-up Keeneland allowance effort behind return rival Paris Lily. Maternal granddaughter of 2006 Preakness winner Bernardini. Jockey John Velazquez owns this race’s record for career victories with 5, including last year aboard Gun Song. Velazquez will ride Sandman in the Preakness.

#2-PRINCESS ALIYAH: $1.2 million granndaughter of legendary 1988 Kentucky Derby-winning filly Winning Colors, third in that year’s Preakness for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. “The Coach” shares the race record with 4 victories, all between 1984-1995. Princess Aliyah won Oaklawn’s Valley of the Vapors Stakes in April, but was unplaced in the Fantasy and most recently Churchill’s Eight Belles. Jockey Nik Juarez won the 2017 Black-Eyed Susan aboard Actress. He and trainer Lukas team up with American Promise in the Preakness.

#3-MARGIE’S INTENTION: Louisiana-bred won 2 of 5 starts at Fair Grounds this winter for Brendan Walsh before a recent purchase and relocation. New trainer Brad Cox won this race in 2022 with Interstatedaydream. This daughter of Honor A.P. exits runner-up finishes in state-bred stakes, most recently the Crescent City Oaks. Flavien Prat will ride Goal Oriented in the Preakness.

#4-RUNNIN N GUNNIN: Morning line favorite at 5-2 odds won the Sunland Oaks and finished third in the Fantasy at Oaklawn last time out. Thoroughbred racing’s all-time winningest trainer Steve Asmussen looks for his first victory in the Black-Eyed Susan. Well-traveled filly makes Pimlico her seventh different stop in 8 career starts. Jose Ortiz also pilots Clever Again for Asmussen in Preakness 150.

#5-KINZIE QUEEN: Most experienced member of the cast with 11 prior starts, including an April 26 allowance win at Oaklawn for trainer Greg Compton. McKinzie filly finished behind return rival Runnin N Gunnin in the Fantasy Stakes at OP. Junior Alvarado looks to ride a spring wave that peaked with Sovereignty’s victory in the Kentucky Derby.

#6-PARIS LILY: Wire-to-wire Keeneland allowance winner April 6 when taking on Black-Eyed Susan return challenger Liam in the Dust. City of Light filly has won 2 of 5 for a Brendan Walsh barn that tied Brad Cox atop the 2025 Spring Meet standings at Keeneland. Jockey Joel Rosario won this race in 2013 with FIftyshadesofhay and 2021 aboard Army Wife.

#7-REPLY: Least-experienced filly in this race makes her third lifetime start, having won a Colonial maiden debut prior to a late-running second in Laurel’s Weber City Miss Stakes. Daughter of 2007 Preakness winner Curlin cost $450,000 asa a yearling. Maryland’s leading trainer Brittany Russell eyes her first win in this race, as does jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who will have the Preakness call Saturday aboard River Thames.

#8-AMARTH: Runner-up in Aqueduct’s Busher Stakes in March, she exits a fifth-place effort in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland. Eddie Kenneally trains the McKinzie filly who has won 2 of 6 lifetime. Luis Saez teams with Gosger in the Preakness. He won the 2016 BES aboard Go Maggie Go.

#9-MOON CACHE: Joins Reply as the Maryland-based contenders for this year’s Black-Eyed Susan and finished a head behind that one in the Weber City Miss. Won Laurel’s Beyond the Wire Stakes by a nose in her prior outing for trainer Mike Gorham, but was disqualified for interference. Connections picked her up for $40,000 out of a Feb. 22 claiming race. Raul Mena rides and will join Gorham in Saturday’s Preakness with Pay Billy as well.