2016 Dixie Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com – The Grade 2 Longines Dixie Stakes comes our way this Saturday, May 21 from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore Maryland as part of the Preakness undercard. Horses three years old and upward will be featured when they take to Pimlico’s turf track and race 1 1/16 miles for the winner’s portion of the $250,000 purse.

A large field of 13 have been confirmed for the Dixie Stakes – race 12 on Pimlico’s stacked Saturday schedule. Post time is 5:39 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all 13 combatants for this interesting Grade 2 stakes.

2016 Dixie Stakes Race Preview at Pimlico

Grand Arch 4-1 – finished eleventh in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Mile and was third behind Tepin in the 2015 edition of that race last time out. He posted a win in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile October 3 and in the Grade 2 Fourstardave Handicap in August and also won the 2014 Grade 2 King Edward Stakes at Woodbine but has delivered a few duds along the way as well. Grand Arch now has seven wins, six seconds and seven third place finishes in 24 career starts, has placed in three straight races ahead of this week and is certainly in decent form for this race. Luis Saez will be in the saddle of the tepid morning line favorite from post 7 Saturday hoping to keep the streak going.

Ring Weekend 9-2 – was last seen 14 months ago when he won the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita. He also won the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes in September, 2014 and the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes a month later and the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby in March of 2014 – very good when healthy. Ring Weekend has five wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 14 career starts and has evidently looked sharp in works leading up to this race. He looks his fourth win in his last five starts in his first race in over a year – from post 9 with John Velazquez aboard the slight second betting choice.

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Force the Pass 5-1 – has four wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in nine career starts for trainer Alan Goldberg and enters off three straight third place finishes – the Grade 3 Appleton Stakes last time out April 2, the Grade 2 Commonwealth Derby in September and the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes in August. Before that were good wins in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational in July and in his graded stakes debut – the $500,000 Grade 3 Penn Mile May 30. Force the Pass has been a factor in every race he’s entered so far and should be again Saturday from post 11 with Joel Rosario in the reins of the third morning line choice.

Take the Stand 6-1 – Bill Mott Argentinean bred trainee has six wins, two seconds and a third place finish in 12 career starts and enters off a career best effort – a win in the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Handicap at Fair Grounds March 26. Before that was a respectable second in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes February 13 and an eighth in the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap in November. He also won a Group 3 stakes at home before shipping in February, 2015. Take the Stand has shown form in the past and is trending upward once again ahead of this weekend. Edgar Prado will try to maintain that trend from gate 12 as the fourth choice on the morning line.

Takeover Target 8-1 – Chad Brown trained colt makes his eleventh career start Saturday having recorded four wins and two second place finishes so far. He made his graded stakes debut in July and finished a somewhat disappointing fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes Invitational and followed that with a good win in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes in August, a sixth in the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes in September, a nice 1 3/4 length win in the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park October 3 and a troubled fifth in the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes January 9. Takeover Target had a second last time out in the minor Danger’s Hour Stakes at Aqueduct April 10 and a fourth in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf in February. He has been a tad inconsistent but looks for his third graded stakes score overall Saturday from gate 4 with Irad Ortiz in the irons.

Long On Value 12-1 – defending fourth place finisher in this race as 5-2 favorite – Bill Mott trainee won the Grade 3 Canadian Turf Stakes in February, 2015 at 10-1 odds and also had a nice two race win streak in 2014 – the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at 11-1 odds and the minor Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury Park. He hasn’t been all that great lately however – a fifth last time out in the Grade 3 Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park April 2 followed a good second in the 2016 Canadian Turf in February, a fifth in the Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont Park back in June the fourth in last year’s edition of this race. He also had an OK third in the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile in April of 2015. Long on Value looks for his first win in 15 months Saturday but has failed to place in three of his last four starts overall. Florent Geroux has been tabbed with changing all of that around from the rail Saturday.

Za Approval 15-1 – Mark Casse trained gelding finished second in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Mile and won three Grade 3 stakes that year. He has been competitive since. Overall he has 32 career starts with nine wins, nine seconds and four third place finishes. He has placed in his last five starts – an Allowance score last time out at Keeneland in October followed a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Woodbine in August and three straight third place finishes in Grade 3 races at Woodbine. Za Approval searches for his first graded stakes win in 30 months and first stakes victory since the minor Real Courage Stakes at Belmont Park in September, 2014 when he leaves from gate 2 with Julien Leparoux aboard.

Conquest Typhoon 15-1 – Canada’s Sovereign Award winner as 2014 Champion 2 Year Old Colt has three wins, five seconds and a third place finish in 13 career starts for trainer Mark Casse. In 2014 he won the Grade 2 Summer Stakes and the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at Del Mar and took until two starts back to hit the winner’s circle again – in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream Park March 12 which was followed by a fifth last time out in the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile April 15. Before his win in March was a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming January 30, a fifth in the minor Tropical Park Derby in December, an eleventh in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes in May and a second in the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes in March of last year. Conquest Typhoon has shown form in the past but chases his first graded stakes score in nearly 17 months Saturday from post 5. Jose Lezcano rides.

Golden Sabre 15-1 – has 15 career starts for trainer Graham Motion with four wins, three seconds and a third place finish. He enters off an OK second in the minor Henry S. Clark Stakes at Laurel Park April 23 after an eighth in an Allowance Optional Claiming March 11 and a seventh in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes in November. Before that was a good win in track record time in the Grade 3 Durham Cup Stakes October 3 and two decent runner-up finishes – in the Grade 2 Sky Classic Stakes August 16 and in the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes July 19. Golden Sabre was very good last year but has struggled to find his form in his last three starts overall. He hopes to change his fortunes and to channel his 2015 form from gate 6 Saturday with a yet-to-be-determined jockey.

Prince Gagarin 15-1 – Irish bred Michael Matz trained colt as three wins, two seconds and three third place finishes. He won a couple of stakes races at home – the last coming in October, 2014 but failed to place in his last three starts in Britain including a ninth in a Group 3 race in July. He has just one North American start and it was a good one – an Allowance score at Keeneland April 28. Prince Gagarin hopes for his second straight win and first ever stakes/Group score from post 9. Javier Castellano has been tabbed with accomplishing that goal.

El Kabeir 20-1 – John Terranova trained colt was on the Kentucky Derby trail in 2015 before injury set him back. He posted wins in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in November, 2014 and the Grade 3 Jerome Stakes last January and went on to a second in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes in February, a win in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes in March and a third in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes in April – pretty good before being sent to the sidelines for nearly seven months. He returned to action October 31 and finished fifth in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap October 31 and rediscovered his winning ways in the minor City of Laurel Stakes November 14. He has failed to place in his last two starts however – a seventh last time out in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita February 6 followed a fourth in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita December 26. El Kabeir now has five wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 13 career starts and enters in inconsistent form. Martin Pedroza will try to right the ship in El Kabeir’s turf debut from gate 10 Saturday.

Cage Fighter 20-1 – has placed in 13 of 18 career starts for trainer James Lawrence. He hasn’t looked great in his last two however – a DNF last time out in the minor Henry S. Clark Stakes at Laurel Park April 23 followed a twelfth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Before that were a second in the Grade 3 Knickerbocker Stakes at Belmont Park October 10 and his first stakes score – the minor PTHA President’s Cup Stakes at Parx September 12. He also had a third in the Grade 3 Oceanport Stakes in August, a fourth in the Grade 2 Monmouth Oaks in June and a good stakes debut – a second in the 2015 Dixie Stakes May 16. Cage Fighter was very good at this time last year and will be out to bounce back from an unflattering stretch. Joshua Navarro rides from the outside post 13.

Captain Dixie 20-1 – Jamie Ness pupil has four wins, six seconds and three third place finishes in 18 career starts. He chases his first stakes score Saturday off an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Laurel Park April 20, a second in a Starter Optional Claiming at Gulfstream March 24 and a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming March 5. He graded stakes results were as follows – a seventh in the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup in September, an eight in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Cup in November, 2014 and a career-best runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup in September, 2014. Captain Dixie has been decent against lesser company and hopes that success translates Saturday. Nik Juarez rides from post 3.

2016 Dixie Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 12 on Pimlico’s Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:39 PM.