Laurel Park Picks & Predictions — May 22, 2026
Laurel Park is open for business on a cool, cloudy Friday, with temperatures sitting right around 60°F — the kind of conditions that keep the track honest and take the guesswork out of surface changes. Nine races are on the card today, all on the dirt, which means pace scenarios and speed figures are going to do the talking.
The card skews heavily toward maiden and claiming company, with an allowance feature in Race 8 providing the biggest class test of the afternoon. There's a nice mix of sprint and route action, including a handful of 5 1/2-furlong sprints that should produce some honest pace battles. In short: plenty of opportunity for sharp bettors to find spots where the public money isn't quite landing in the right place.
Best Bets
Race 1
Maiden Claiming · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt
A wide-open maiden claimer with 14 runners and no standout speed figure, but TrackWiz ratings separate two horses from the pack — making the top of the ticket cleaner than the field size suggests.
Let Her Pass By (#12) carries the field's highest TrackWiz rating at 87.81 and draws in at a workable 5/2 morning line — meaningful value for the top-rated horse. Her average speed figure of 53 is respectable in a field where several runners are posting zeros, suggesting limited published form. Trainer Richard P. Sillaman sends her out with what looks like a horse that's ready to fire, and a 5/2 price on the top-rated horse in a maiden claimer is worth playing straight up.
Bashful Baby (#14) is the morning-line favorite at 6/5 and checks in with a TrackWiz rating of 85.81 — just a whisker behind the win pick. Trainer Richard E. Dutrow Jr. is a name that commands respect, and Sheldon Russell in the irons adds an experienced pilot to the mix. She figures to be forwardly placed and dangerous, making her a near-lock for the exacta.
Truly an Honor (#1) sits third in our ratings at 76.36 and goes postward at a juicy 5/1 — well above her implied ranking in this field. Trainer Michael J. Trombetta is a sharp Laurel conditioner, and Mychel J. Sanchez has the experience to put her in a good spot from the rail. She's the kind of number-three horse that rounds out the exacta and trifecta at a price worth including.
Race 2
Maiden Special Weight · 4 1/2 fur · Dirt
A short-field maiden special weight at four and a half furlongs — a sprint that rewards early speed and a sharp break, and where trainer patterns could matter more than published form in a field of mostly first-timers.
Paris by Night (#3) tops our ratings at 59 and is the morning-line favorite at 8/5, trained by John J. Robb who also saddles The Stork Club in the same race — a sign Robb has confidence in both but the market is clearly leaning toward the #3. Xavier Perez gets the call, and he's a capable hand at Laurel. In a sprint with a compact field of six, a horse with the top rating and the right connections goes wire to wire more often than not.
Gypsy Lullaby (#1) rates second in the field at 56.67 and is attractively priced at 3/1 off the morning line. Trainer Jose Corrales runs two horses in this spot — always worth noting — but the market has Gypsy Lullaby as the stronger of the pair. Breaking from the rail at four and a half furlongs can be advantageous, and at 3/1 this filly offers solid each-way value.
Engage At Will (#5) posts a 55.83 TrackWiz rating and is third choice at 7/2, with Jevian Toledo — one of the sharper jockeys in the Mid-Atlantic — in the saddle. Trainer John E. Salzman Jr. has a steady hand with young horses, and the 7/2 price makes this a worthwhile exotics anchor. If the top two beat each other up on the lead, Engage At Will can sneak into the exotics.
Race 3
Claiming · 1 mi · Dirt
This one-mile claiming route has a legitimate class puzzle at its center — Hockey is our top-rated horse at a generous 6/1, but Princess Clemmie's 22% career win rate and Cha Cha Chukka's trainer angle make this a race with multiple live threats.
Hockey (#1) leads all horses in the TrackWiz ratings at 82.71 and goes off at 6/1 on the morning line — that's a horse the public may be underestimating. Trainer Sarah White has this mare cranked up from the rail with Raul E. Mena aboard, and a 12% career win rate is nothing spectacular, but the numbers here say she's the class of the field at a price. In a one-mile route, pace scenario matters, and a horse with this rating differential over her competition gets the nod.
Cha Cha Chukka (#3) rates second at 73.85 and is the morning-line second choice at 3/1, trained by the prolific Jamie Ness. Ness excels with claimers at mid-Atlantic tracks, and Yedsit Hazlewood has been a reliable presence in the irons this meet. A 9% career win rate isn't flashy, but this filly's raw rating says she belongs right in this mix.
Skittliedat (#2) brings a 65.77 rating and a 15% career win rate to the table at 6/1 morning line — a horse who has found the winner's circle before and knows how to compete. Trainer Robert Leaf III has this one primed off the inside post, and Jose E. Vargas is a steady hand at Laurel. With three horses bunched in the 65–83 rating range, the trifecta could go in multiple directions, and Skittliedat is a strong show anchor.
Our free coverage opens up three races that already have us circling our programs. Let Her Pass By (R1, 5/2 ML) leads off the card in maiden claiming sprinting action and carries one of the stronger TrackWiz ratings of the free portion at 87.81 — a number that suggests she fits this spot well. Paris by Night (R2, 8/5 ML) is the public's choice in the early maiden special weight, though the 59 rating tells us this is a wide-open field where the chalk's price may not offer the value you'd want. And then there's Hockey in Race 3 — a one-mile claiming route where our 82.71 rating at 6/1 morning line points to a potential overlay. If the pace sets up right around two turns, Hockey could be the kind of price that makes your afternoon.
The all-dirt surface and mild, overcast conditions shouldn't favor any particular running style today, so look for pace scenarios to play out closer to form. No weather-driven biases expected — just straight-up handicapping.
Full Card Analysis
Premium Content
Get the Full Card Analysis
Unlock expert picks for every race, detailed speed figures, trainer angles, and our SmartBet recommendations.
Bottom line for today at Laurel: Hockey at 6/1 in Race 3 is the standout value play in the free selections, and Preacha Meyers headlines a premium card that has several live longshots worth building tickets around. It's a grinder's card — the kind where preparation separates the winners. Full analysis, pace projections, and exotic strategies are all available to subscribers. Good luck out there, and as always, bet smart.