Hennig Taking Cautious Approach With Strike Charmer

Strike Charmer registered her first graded stakes victory since 2014 with a 2 ¼-length victory in Sunday's Grade 3, $150,000 Beaugay on the Widener turf. Trainer Mark Hennig said the gray mare came out of the race fine but will take a cautious approach when determining where the 6-year-old will start next.

"We just want to see how she came out," Hennig said. "She's put together a couple of big efforts, we just want to make sure we don't push her too far."

Hennig added that Lucky Lurie is being pointed towards the seven-furlong Mike Lee on  Big Apple Showcase Day on May 30. The 3-year-old bay colt is 1-4-0 in six career starts.

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The Grade 3, $150,000 Vagrancy Handicap headlines Preakness Day at Belmont on Saturday, with the $100,000 Soaring Softly for turf fillies and mares playing a supporting role on the 12-race card.

Along with the simulcast of the Preakness, fans will receive a long-sleeved black tee-shirt giveaway, free with paid admission while supplies last.

First race post time is 12:40 p.m.

Probable starters for the 6 ½-furlong Vagrancy include the Bob Baffert-trained multiple stakes winner Fantastic Style, most recently second as the beaten favorite in the Grade 2 Great Lady M at Los Alamitos. The Harlans Holiday miss, no worse than third in eight lifetime starts, includes the Grade 3 Las Flores, the 2015 Great Lady M, and the Angels Flight among her five wins.

Also likely for the Vagrancy are the speedy Paulassilverlining, who beat Saturday's Grade 2 Ruffian winner Cavorting by 3 ¾ lengths in the Grade 3 Distaff Handicap in April; Momameamaria, most recently fifth in the Correction in March at the Big A; Blithely, who would be making her graded stakes debut, for trainer Mark Hennig and owners William Parsons Jr. and David Howe; and West Coast Chick, who is 1-1-1 in three allowance starts this year for Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito. Recent allowance winner Stormy Sky is questionable.

Source: NYRA Communications