Daily Racing Form handicappers David Aragona and Mike Beer preview the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

Saturday’s $2 million Preakness Stakes runs as Race 13 at Laurel Park at 7:01 p.m. Eastern, with Pimlico construction sending the second jewel of the Triple Crown to a temporary home. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo skipped the race, leaving a wide-open field of 14. Daily Racing Form handicappers David Aragona and Mike Beer split on top, with Aragona on the undefeated No. 1 Taj Mahal and Beer taking a shot with No. 7 The Hell We Did. Neither has 9-2 morning-line favorite No. 9 Iron Honor on top, though Beer uses the Chad Brown trainee third on the basis of his co-top 95 Beyer on debut.

Aragona’s top pick: No. 1 Taj Mahal

No. 1 Taj Mahal, trained by Brittany Russell, brings a 3-for-3 record and a Federico Tesio Stakes win at this track into the Preakness. Aragona points to the way the Tesio was run as a reason the form may understate him, noting Sheldon Russell hustled the colt forward from post 10, settled him on the lead, and got him to kick on again at the quarter pole. Beer agrees the colt took a clear step forward but stops short of the win pick.

Beer’s top pick: No. 7 The Hell We Did

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No. 7 The Hell We Did, trained by Todd Fincher, has three career starts and stretched out for the first time in the Lexington Stakes, finishing second behind Trendsetter. 

“I have no problem with them wanting to take a shot in the Preakness considering how this field has shaped up,” Beer says, adding he expects the colt to be ridden more patiently this time. 

Aragona is less impressed with the Lexington given Trendsetter came back to finish a distant fourth in the Peter Pan, but agrees the pedigree suggests more to find.

The speed of the race: No. 10 Napoleon Solo

No. 10 Napoleon Solo, trained by Chad Summers, lands on both tickets and is Beer’s pick to place. Beer identifies him as the speed of the race and the horse most likely to go to the lead. Both note Talk to Me Jimmy, who pressed Napoleon Solo through fast fractions in the Wood Memorial before fading, came back in the Peter Pan and improved his Beyer Speed Figure by 15 points. 

“If Napoleon Solo improves by 15 points in this race, maybe give him an extra five for the foot issues, that’s going to put him in the winner circle,” Aragona says.

Aragona’s place pick: No. 12 Incredibolt

No. 12 Incredibolt, trained by Riley Mott, is Aragona’s pick to place. Aragona makes the class-relief case: Incredibolt was sixth in the Kentucky Derby behind a group that, except for Ocelli, is not coming back. He ran a career-top 89 Beyer in defeat and finished well ahead of Ocelli in the Virginia Derby.

The handicappers’ verdict

David Aragona’s picks 

No. 1 Taj Mahal 

No. 12 Incredibolt 

No. 10 Napoleon Solo 

No. 2 Ocelli

Mike Beer’s picks 

No. 7 The Hell We Did

No. 10 Napoleon Solo 

No. 9 Iron Honor 

No. 12 Incredibolt

For more from David and Mike, check out this video preview:

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