The Pat Day Mile was one of the deepest and most contentious races on the Kentucky Derby undercard, and 9-1 shot Seize the Grey came up big. He stalked early in third and fourth before splitting horses in upper stretch, taking the lead in midstretch and edging away by 1¼ lengths.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, a six-time Preakness winner, thinks Seize the Grey’s sharp effort at a one-turn mile should set him up well for 1 3/16 miles at Pimlico. His pedigree says stretching out should be no problem, but he’s only 1-for-4 going two turns. His sire, Arrogate, excelled at 1¼ miles in the Travers, Breeders’ Cup Classic and Dubai World Cup, and his dam’s sire, Smart Strike, is a longtime major influence at 10 furlongs and beyond.

“I think if he runs the same race as he did in the Pat Day Mile, he’ll be right there,” Lukas said. “He has good natural speed, and I see no reason why he can’t go 1 3/16. I think having a positive race going into the Preakness will really help him.”

The challenge will be putting strong races back-to-back, which Seize the Grey has yet to do. He had lost five of his last six entering the Pat Day Mile and is 1-for-5 in graded stakes.

Betting advice: Is Seize the Grey a live longshot or a pretender whose Pat Day win was a fluke? His inconsistency is a worry, and it’s hard to imagine him outrunning Muth. Insist on big odds before taking a stab.

Post position: 6

Odds: 15/1

Jockey: Jaime Torres

Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas

Owner: MyRacehorse

Career record: 9-3-0-3

Career earnings: $619,938

Most recent race: Pat Day Mile, May 4 (1^st)

Top Equibase speed figure: 93

Pedigree: Arrogate-Smart Shopping, by Smart Strike

Color: Gray/roan

Running style: Midpack

Notes: Lukas ruled American racing in the Eighties and Nineties, and his amazing run included six consecutive wins in the Triple Crown. He took the 1994 Preakness and Belmont Stakes with Tabasco Cat, the 1995 Derby and Belmont with Thunder Gulch, the 1995 Preakness with Timber Country and the 1996 Derby with Grindstone. After Nick Zito’s Louis Quatorze ended Lukas’ streak in the 1996 Preakness, Lukas took that year’s Belmont with Editor’s Note … He’s seeking a seventh Preakness trophy 44 years after getting his first with Codex.

The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.