The major players in the May 21 Dinner Party Stakes (G2T) at Pimlico Race Course all seem to be looking for just that little bit extra needed to get them into a graded stakes winner's circle.
Among them, the seven entered for the 1 1/16-mile test on the Preakness Stakes (G1) undercard have made 31 starts in graded or group stakes. The results have been disappointing. With the exception of Set Piece, who won the Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs in June 2021, and English Bee, winner of the Virginia Derby (G3) at Colonial Downs back in 2019, none of the seven has found the key to winning at that level.
There have been some close calls.
Tango Tango Tango was second in the Bruce D. Stakes (G1T) at Arlington International Racecourse last summer. Atone was second in the Ft. Lauderdale (G2T) at Gulfstream Park in December, then a close-up fourth in both the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T) and the Maker's Mark Mile (G1T) in April at Keeneland. Novo Sol was second in the Gran Premio Sao Paulo (G1) at Ciudad Jardim before shipping north.
Only two of the seven enter the Dinner Plate with a win in their last race—Tango Tango Tango, who took an optional claimer at Belmont Park on May 1, and Nathan Detroit, victor in a mile turf event at Laurel Park for "non-winners of one other-than" April 29.
Tango Tango Tango's win came at 1 1/4 miles, and trainer Jack Sisterson said that race wasn't the original plan for the 4-year-old colt.
"He didn't get into the 'two-other-than' at Keeneland, so I had to scramble for Plan B because he was ready to run again," Sisterson said. "We sent him up there and, obviously, going from seven and a half to a mile and a quarter was a question mark. He had never won over that distance, but I think Flavien Prat helped us out. He put him in the right spot."
For all of that, Set Piece, Atone, and English Bee stand out in the Dinner Party, if only because of the quality of competition they've faced recently.
Set Piece, a 6-year-old Dansili gelding trained by Brad Cox, followed his Wise Dan score with decent efforts in the Fourstardave (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course, the Woodbine Mile (G1T) and, after a winter break, the Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland April 15, missing there by just two lengths.
English Bee, a 6-year-old Calumet Farm homebred by English Channel out of the Kitten's Joy mare Evil Kitten, raced through the winter in Florida for trainer Graham Motion, contesting grade 2 and grade 3 races at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. He comes off a fifth-place finish, beaten two lengths, in the Appleton Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park April 2.
Atone also exits the Maker's Mark Mile. The 5-year-old Into Mischief gelding, bred by Godolphin, is trained by Mike Maker for Three Diamonds Farm.
Maker acknowledged Atone—like many of the rest—seeks to benefit from the class drop and the addition of blinkers.
"He was a good fourth in the Pegasus Turf and the Maker's Mark Mile, so hopefully some class relief will be what the doctor ordered," Maker said. "He shows up every time. No complaints. He's kept the best company and held his own."
The equipment change, he said, might give Atone a psychological boost.
"We put the blinkers on because a couple of the jockeys said when they went to hit him or something that he'd lose focus and swap his leads back and forth," Maker said. "I think he was more worried about the stick than anything."
Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, May 21, 2022, Race 8Entries: Dinner Party S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Tango Tango Tango (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Jack Sisterson 10/1 2 2Novo Sol (BRZ) Junior Alvarado 120 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 6/1 3 3Set Piece (GB) Florent Geroux 120 Brad H. Cox 8/5 4 4Beacon Hill (KY) Joel Rosario 120 Michael R. Matz 9/2 5 5English Bee (KY) Luis Saez 120 H. Graham Motion 6/1 6 6Atone (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Michael J. Maker 5/2 7 7Nathan Detroit (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 120 Norman L. Cash 30/1
