Stevil's trainer, Nick Zito, has been making more news at Pimlico than the colt with Zito explaining his preferences for dirt tracks over synthetic surfaces. Zito believes more work and research can be done with dirt tracks to help protect race horses and he's not convinced that synthetic is a cure-all.

Meanwhile, his horse will be going out of the No. 9 position on Saturday with John Velazquez riding. Stevil won his maiden in October but has been a little ho-hum since with five finishes ranging from second to fifth. His most encouraging outing may have been his most recent, a fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes on April 12 where several Kentucky Derby horses ran and he came in just behind another Preakness contender, Kentucky Bear. Here's Stevil (No. 4) in the Blue Grass.