Trikari, a grade 1-winning millionaire by Oscar Performance , tries to end a three-race slide and return to the winner's circle in the $250,000 Dinner Party Stakes (G3T) May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.
The 1 1/8-mile turf test for 3-year-olds and up serves as the appetizer ahead of Pimlico's Saturday main course, the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1).
Following a nearly six-month layoff, the Graham Motion trainee who ended 2024 with a fourth in the City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2T) and a sixth in the Bryan Station Stakes (G3T), returned with a distant third behind standout turf miler Carl Spackler in the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland April 11 over a course rated as "good."
"I possibly underestimated (Carl Spackler) a little bit," Motion said. "He's obviously very, very good.
"I don't know how much the ground affected Trikari; it was pretty soft that day. But they're grade 1 horses. I thought he ran very well first time back."
Motion added that he "probably ran him one time too many" last year.
Trikari, owned by Amerman Racing and bred by Michael Slezak and Amy Boll, could again race over rain-softened ground Saturday after precipitation in Maryland this week. He won over a damp course at Churchill Downs last spring.
He won't be given a free pass Saturday against the likes of Magic Cap Stables' Fort Washington. This year, the 6-year-old son of War Front was a respectable fifth in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) and then nosed out a win in the Canadian Turf Stakes (G3T), both at Gulfstream Park, for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.
Looking for redemption—and another win—in the Dinner Party is Balnikhov. The Phil D'Amato trainee won last year's edition over a soft course by 1 1/2 lengths over another returnee, Crabs N Beer, but Balnikhov hasn't won since. He has two thirds and a second among his six starts since the 2024 Dinner Party, but he also has a ninth and two 10ths. Those rear-half finishes have all come over his last four races.
But despite these recent struggles, the gelding owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables, and Old Bones Racing Stable is battle-tested and can draw upon his experience. He's competed in 21 graded stakes with a 3-4-4 mark.
Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, May 17, 2025, Race 12Entries: Dinner Party S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Divin Propos (FR) Luis Saez 120 Philip D'Amato 12/1 2 2Crabs N Beer (MD) Jorge Ruiz 120 James L. Lawrence II 30/1 3 3Signator (KY) UNKNOWN 120 Claude R. McGaughey III 8/1 4 4Neat (KY) Joel Rosario 120 Rob Atras 8/1 5 5Abrumar (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 120 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 20/1 6 6Balnikhov (IRE) Flavien Prat 120 Philip D'Amato 9/2 7 7Cash Equity (FR) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 15/1 8 8Crystal Quest (FL) Paco Lopez 120 Michael J. Trombetta 10/1 9 9Irish Aces (KY) Umberto Rispoli 122 Brendan P. Walsh 10/1 10 10Fort Washington (KY) Junior Alvarado 122 Claude R. McGaughey III 5/1 11 11Fulmineo (MD) Victor R. Carrasco 120 Arnaud Delacour 12/1 12 12Desvio (KY) Weston Hamilton 120 Madison F. Meyers 30/1 13 13Trikari (KY) John R. Velazquez 120 H. Graham Motion 5/2
Invader Takes Aim at Gallorette
With trainer Chad Brown not having a runner in this year's Gallorette Stakes (G3T), a different conditioner will be in the winner's circle for the first time since 2022. Christophe Clement saddles the favorite, Three Havanas, who comes into the race a relative unknown.
She makes her North American debut after a 12-race career in Europe in which she hit the board more than half the time (4-1-2). However, her success in group events was not as good—1-1-2 from eight starts. She has steadily breezed for Clement at Payson Park Training Center and Belmont Park since the winter.
Trainer Rob Atras starts stakes-winning Way to Be Marie. The Not This Time filly has breezed twice since a victory in the March 22 Tom Benson Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, where she matched her career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 102.
Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, May 17, 2025, Race 7Entries: Gallorette S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Dana's Beauty (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 124 Michael J. Maker 6/1 2 2Queen of the Mud (IRE) Flavien Prat 120 H. Graham Motion 4/1 3 3Ocean Club (KY) John R. Velazquez 120 Bethany Baumgardner 15/1 4 4Charlene's Dream (TX) Umberto Rispoli 120 Ed Moger, Jr. 20/1 5 5Conquest Dancer (KY) UNKNOWN 120 Charles A. Frock 30/1 6 6Austere (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Brendan P. Walsh 8/1 7 7Three Havanas (GER) Joel Rosario 120 Christophe Clement 5/2 8 8Sparkle Blue (KY) Jorge Ruiz 120 H. Graham Motion 5/1 9 9Way to Be Marie (KY) Junior Alvarado 124 Rob Atras 3/1
