It’s Preakness Stakes week, and our attention shifts to the temporary home of the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. Laurel Park, not Pimlico, is the site of Preakness week festivities, and huge cards Friday and Saturday will provide plenty of chances to take swings with live longshots.

We did pretty well with these on Kentucky Derby weekend two weeks ago, as the section included Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Always a Runner. As with that article, this one features two horses on both Friday and Saturday that are candidates to outrun their likely odds. Let’s take a look…

FRIDAY

Laurel Park, Race 9, $125,000 Hilltop Stakes, 3:54 ET

#6 Unmiztaken (10-1 morning line)

This race revolves around the return of #2 Ultimate Love, but while I respect that one, I’ll take a shot against her. She hasn’t run since October and while she’s clearly the one to beat, the likely race shape doesn’t cater to her late-running style. At her likely odds I can’t endorse her.

#6 Unmiztaken, meanwhile, goes second off the layoff for trainer Keri Brion, and her 2026 debut was quite good, finishing second by making up a considerable amount of ground late after rating behind a slow early pace. She showed some speed last year as a 2-year-old and I’m expecting her to be on or near the lead in this spot given the likely tempo. The addition of jockey Jose Ortiz certainly helps.

I’m not sure we’ll get the 10-1 morning-line odds on Unmiztaken come post time, but the more likely 6-1 or so still represents a very fair price. She’s a logical candidate to improve and if she does, I think she’ll stand a big chance.

Laurel Park, Race 11, $100,000 The Very One Stakes, 5:02 ET

#6 Somnium (15-1)

Saturday Flirt. (Coady Media)

Like in the Hilltop, I’m going against a heavy favorite. #5 Saturday Flirt was very good last year but she didn’t run a jump in her seasonal debut. Perhaps she needed a race, but it was a very uninspiring effort. Maybe she’s just not the horse she was last year as a 3-year-old.

#6 Somnium comes into this race off a big winning move against allowance horses at Penn National in her last race. Yes, it was against weaker horses, but she also showed some back class in 2025. Her lone effort against stakes company was a good one when fourth in the Grade 3 Glen Cove Stakes after making a significant middle move and encountering some trouble.

Jockey Jose Ortiz shows up here, too, and horse and rider should have plenty of pace to chase. If the Penn form hold up at Laurel, I think she could light up the tote board.

SATURDAY

Laurel Park, Race 8, $150,000 Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Stakes, 2:48 ET

#8 Slam Notion (5-1)

Slam Notion. (Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club)

This is a pace play for me. Most of the nine horses in this race want to be on or near the lead and there are some fast sprinters with some serious zip in this bunch. I want a horse that has shown it can pass others and #8 Slam Notion ticks that box.

His run in the General George Stakes last time out wasn’t inspiring but his wins two and three races ago were very sharp. He should sit a similar winning trip in this race. Furthermore, unlike many in this field, he’s shown he doesn’t need Lasix in order to run his best race so that factor won’t hurt him as much as it could impact others. The faster they go early, the better his chances will be to upset.

Laurel Park, Race 13, $2 million Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, 7:01 ET

#8 Bull by the Horns (30-1)

Bull by the Horns. (Coady Media)

We’ll close with a bomb in the main event, and this one’s a doozy. I respect horses like #9 Iron Honor and #12 Incredibolt, and I’ll use them both, but I think there are multiple reasons to be…well, bullish… about Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee #8 Bull by the Horns.

Bull by the Horns didn’t run well two back in the Grade 2 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes, but if you draw a line through that race, you have a closer that hasn’t done much else wrong. He beat a decent field in the $245,000 Rushaway Stakes last time over a field that included Trendsetter, who came back to win the Grade 3 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes and then ran third in the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes. He should get a similar race shape on Saturday as he did in the Rushaway, and he has been working very well in preparation for this race down at Gulfstream Park. The Preakness will be a big jump in class, and perhaps he needs to improve to factor into this result, however, he seems like an improving sort of horse who is likely get the pace circumstances he needs to upset at a big price. There’s a lot of early speed in the Preakness which should set things up for closers.