Tesio fair odds: Preakness prep features late classic nominees

The feature race on Saturday's Preakness preview day card at Laurel Park is the local prep for the Preakness, the Federico Tesio Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

This year's Tesio takes on added meaning because it is at the host track of the Preakness with Laurel playing host to the middle jewel of U.S. Thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown while Pimlico in Baltimore gets rebuilt.

In the last ten years, five Tesio winners have gone on to compete in the Preakness Stakes but none have hit the board. This year's Tesio feels a bit deeper with the owners of both Volendam and Taj Mahal nominating their colts to the Triple Crown during the late nomination process.

Volendam won his career debut at Turfway in a maiden special weight on Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) day and earned the best Ragozin figure of this group when doing so. Taj Mahal is undefeated in two starts, winning the Miracle Wood Stakes last out in gate-to-wire fashion after closing from last to win on debut. The Miracle Wood came in the slop and now he's marooned outside here while needing to improve to beat Volendam assuming that one runs at least as well in his dirt and stakes debut.

From a fair odds perspective, though, either is likely playable as the longer price of the two. Volendam has the surface question to answer, and Taj Mahal's post is precarious given the early and pressing styles of half the field to his inside. I'd be more excited to bet Volendam, though, if I'm being honest since the upside on him seems stronger. The range of performances both are capable of favor Volendam.

From a long shot perspective, Classic Nofty catches my eye a bit second-time off the layoff after having way too much to do off the bench chasing a fast pace. Trainer Phil Schoenthal decent numbers second-off the layoff, and jockey Forest Boyce sticks with this despite not riding much for the conditioner.

From a Preakness perspective, though, only Volendam and Taj Mahal are likely to be any sort of contenders for that race on May 16 at Laurel, and it would take the best performances of their career to make them players in four weeks.