Although the Preakness (G1) has been going through some struggles in recent years, the fact remains that Preakness Day itself remains one of the four or five most popular betting cards in American racing every year. If the weather and field sizes hold, it would be no surprise to see around $100 million handled at Pimlico on Saturday.

Here are a trio of runners on the undercard I'll be taking a look at.

Race 8: Chick Lang S., 2:48 p.m. ET

Hot-and-cold types are inherently risky to back, but #6 Keep It Easy (4-1) has to be considered a threat on his best day. Two solid wins, including a convincing score in the Ed Brown S. at Churchill last November over next-out stakes winner Tough Catch, are surrounded by some rather ugly clunkers. Keep in mind, though, that he was basically eliminated from the Saratoga Special (G2) after stumbling at the start, and last time in the Fountain of Youth (G2) didn't show up at all in a race dominated by more natural two-turn types, Sovereignty and River Thames. A stalk-and-pounce trip in this speed-laden field would give him his best chance.

Race 9: Jim McKay Turf Sprint, 3:30 p.m. ET

Granted, his win-to-second ratio over the turf could be better, but #4 Witty (10-1) figures to offer some price appeal in this five-furlong dash. He finished second in this race a year ago over soft ground following a win in the King Leatherbury S. at Laurel, but enters this edition off a second-place run in the Leatherbury, which suggests he might prove sharper second off the bench this time, especially if he gets faster ground to work with. His positive experience over this course, a win and a second in two tries, also trumps the records of others he faces.

Race 12: Dinner Party (G3), 5:52 p.m. ET

#3 Signator (8-1), more allowance class than stakes quality on the main track, has perked up significantly since switching to the turf over the last few months. He's now 2-for-2 over the lawn, including a rallying half-length triumph in the Henry Clark S. at Laurel over a mile. Although he lacks experience at this level, that should help price-wise, and the step up to nine furlongs is sure to help this closer, as he only just got up in his last two going shorter.

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