Dixie a good warmup for Preakness

The Preakness is the final leg of an all stakes pick four at Pimlico with a guaranteed pool of $1 million.

The most significant of the three races that will precede the second jewel of the Triple Crown on Saturday is the $250,000 Dixie.

A Grade II at 1 1/8 miles on turf, the Dixie lured nine entrants, including 122-pound high-weight Buffalo Man.

Trained by Cam Gambolati, Buffalo Man, a Canadian-bred son of El Prado, has won six of 13 but will be making only his fourth start on grass. He has a win and a second place in three previous races on the surface, but this will mark his first start on the Pimlico lawn.

Edgar Prado is back aboard the 4-year-old, whose last win came with Prado in the Appleton on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park.

The other stakes in the sequence are the $100,000 Hirsch Jacobs, a Grade III for 3-year-olds at six furlongs, and the $150,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff, a Grade II for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 .

Of the nine who are scheduled to run in the DuPont, seven are coming off victories and two -- Lexi Star and Wow Me Free -- have won two in a row.

Lantana Mob, a son of Posse owned by Vinery Stables and Tom Ludt and trained by Steve Asmussen, is probably the one to defeat in the Jacobs. Lantana Mob has won four of eight.

Race of the day: Tiz West, who has won two in a row since switching to the turf, will try to become a graded stakes winner in the $100,000 Will Rogers at Hollywood Park. Victor Espinoza remains with the 3-year-old Gone West colt for owner-breeder Gerald Ford's Diamond A Racing Corporation and trainer Richard Mandella in the Grade III at one mile. Other contenders include Polonius and Indian Sun. The card also includes the return of Dearest Trickski, who has won five in a row since being claimed for $32,000 last summer, in the $75,000 Desert Stormer Handicap.

One for the road: Big Bien is bred to improve with more distance and a switch to grass in the ninth race at Golden Gate Fields. Luis Martinez will ride the 4-year-old son of Bienamado for owners Gary and Cecil Barber and trainer Steve Miyadi in the $20,000 maiden claimer at one mile.

Exotically speaking: A pick three using Big Red Tate in the third, Dixie Meister, Luhuk's Dancer and Supah Blitz in the fourth and Dearest Trickski, Silky Smooth and Ashley's Kitty in the fifth.

Winners (through Thursday): (previous day/meet total): 4/46. Money (previous day/meet total): $35.60/$292.40. Total money bet: $294.

bob.mieszerski@latimes.com