Thoroughbred Daily News – 5/10/26
Pretty Boy Miah (Beau Liam) moved into the 14th and final spot in the GI Preakness Stakes field Sunday following the defections of Express Kid (Bodexpress) and Smoovin Saturday (I’ll Have Another). The gelding has won his last two starts in wire-to-wire fashion since trainer Jeremiah Englehart added blinkers for a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race Mar. 29 at Aqueduct. He added a one-mile starter optional claiming win at that oval Apr. 25.
“These races come around just once a year and you only have one chance in a career to run in them,” Engelhart said. “I think he’s always been a really nice horse. When Travis Durr was breaking him at his farm after Legion Bloodstock bought him, they kind of always had him circled as a really nice colt. He showed that coming through. He went through some growing pains going to the track. We gave him some time to kind of grow up, gelded him and it’s worked out for everyone involved here so far.”
Pretty Boy Miah worked four furlongs in :49.04 (12/42) over the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga Saturday, while still an also-eligible to the Preakness field.
Englehart said that Pretty Boy Miah came out of the work in fine shape and that he was looking forward to saddling his first starter in a Triple Crown race. However, aware that another entry might knock his gelding back to the also-eligible list, Englehart said he would finalize shipping plans after entries close Monday. Should he get bumped from the Preakness field, Pretty Boy Miah is likely to run in the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard at Laurel Park.
Ricardo Santana Jr. will ride the gelding in the Preakness.
