After a rough start in the Kentucky Derby, Albus didn't fire despite getting the right pace setup for a deep-closing trip. He has since gotten a freshening and now should be ready for his summer campaign. Midwestern "B-derbies" like this are the right level for him — his effort in the Wood Memorial showed that, despite being by sprinter Yaupon, 1⅛ miles suits him well. He also has a shot to get the right trip: though Thistledown doesn't tend to be a good place for deep closers, he broke his maiden from a more tactical spot, and Jaime Torres rode him with some speed in a maiden race at Churchill Downs last year. If Torres can get some speed out of him again, Albus could be a serious factor at an appealing 10-1 price.

The 1 3/16 miles of the Preakness were a little too long for Chip Honcho, but he still drew on his class to run third — a solid effort. He takes a class drop from his last several races and the cut back to 1⅛ miles should move him forward; that was a solid effort at the distance when he ran a close second behind the extremely talented Paladin in the Risen Star. Chip Honcho should be able to get a good trip — though he may not outgun Desert Gate to the lead, he won't be far off, and he should be able to replicate the trip that produced his Gun Runner win in December. He's the classiest horse in the field, has tactical speed, and looks like the most likely winner of this race.

Zihnal has class to prove, stepping up from a maiden race at Horseshoe Indianapolis to a graded-stakes field full of Triple Crown horses. He's the only runner without any stakes experience. But he has several compelling reasons to move forward at a huge price. First, he has the right running style — Emmanuel Esquivel gave him a stalk-and-pounce trip in his maiden win, and Esquivel gets right back in the saddle for Saturday. Second, the stretch out in trip should suit him beautifully: Quality Road progeny stretch out well, and his dam is a Ghostzapper mare who won the 1¼-mile Grade 2 Dance Smartly, meaning he should handle 1⅛ miles comfortably. Finally, trainer Jonathan Thomas often flies under the radar despite winning at north of 20% with both shippers and last-out maiden winners, carrying a positive flat-bet ROI over the last three years in both cases.