Trying turf for the first time, O Dionysus notched his first win in over a year by taking a Pimlico allowance Thursday.
O Dionysus, unraced since April, may make his return in the Concern Stakes at Laurel Park in July.
Saturday’s Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park offers the winner a spot in the Preakness, and five runners are bidding for it.
The talented but flighty sophomore O Dionysus will try two turns for the first time as he headlines the Private Terms Stakes at Laurel.
Three-year-old O Dionysus will look to stretch out in the March 18 Private Terms at Laurel Park, one of five stakes scheduled for the day.
Crabcakes and O Dionysus are favored in a pair of Laurel Park for three-year-olds, with local division leadership among the prizes.
Grade 3 winner El Areeb, based at Laurel Park, is among 15 based in the Free State to join the Triple Crown trail.
Of the more than 400 horses nominated to the Triple Crown, 17 were bred in the mid-Atlantic.
O Dionysus, a near-miss second last out in the Marylander Stakes, is a solid favorite in Saturday’s Whiteley Stakes at Laurel Park.
Two-year-old Irish War Cry won a thriller in the Marylander Stakes at Laurel Park — bringing another big win to the family of the late Amory Haskell.