Heavy favorites spice up weekend racing card

May 31 (UPI) -- A relatively light slate of big races across North America this weekend nonetheless includes some heavy favorites.

Here's a look at the program:

Distaff

Paradise Woods is the 1-5 favorite in a field of five for Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old Union Rags mare hasn't won much recently but she has has been competing at the highest level and exits a victory in the Grade II Santa Margarita Stakes over the course.

German-bred La Force takes this challenge rather than ship to Chicago for the Arlington Matron. The Paddy Gallagher trainee was second behind Paradise Woods in the Santa Margarita but the 10 1/2 lengths distance between them accounts for the divergent odds. Also on hand are Just a Smidge, Exuberance and Tapped.

Daddy's Boo, a "horse for the course," appears the one to catch in Sunday's Grade III Arlington Matron on the Arlington Park all-weather course. The question is, can she stay the course.

Daddy's Boo has made 14 starts at Arlington, on both the turf and the all-weather course, with seven wins, five seconds and a third and has not missed the frame at the suburban Chicago facility in early four years. But the 8-year-old is a confirmed front-runner with a tendency to fade late. She finished second to Princess La Quinta in last year's Matron, yielding late after leading most of the way. Among the others,

Coachwhip, a 5-year-old So You Think mare, exits a third-place finish in the Grace III Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland April 26 -- her best showing in three tries at the graded-stakes level. La Force, who likely would have been the favorite, is staying home at Santa Anita (see above).

Turf

It's no surprise trainer Chad Brown sends out the favorite for Saturday's $200,000 Grade III Pennine Ridge for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park -- Value Proposition, a British-bred Danehill colt. Value Proposition doesn't offer much value at the windows despite making just his second career start after racing greenly in a career-opening win in April at Belmont Park. Brown also saddles Demarchelier, a British-bred colt by Dubawi who is 2-for-2.

Todd Pletcher also has two in the Pennine Ridge. Social Paranoia, a Street Boss colt who was third in the Grade II American Turf on Derby Day in Louisville, and Clint Maroon, another from England who won the Woodhaven at Aqueduct April 20.

A mixed bag of former Triple Crown hopefuls, lightly raced late starters and allowance types awaits the starter in Sunday's $150,000 Cinema Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita. Sorting through that leads to Neptune's Storm, a Stormy Atlantic gelding who has posted five straight in-the-money finishes since breaking his maiden last fall and won the Singletary Stakes going a furlong less than this 9 panels April 28.

Filly & Mare Turf

Maxim Rate is the 9-5, morning-line favorite among eight 3-year-old fillies set to contest Saturday's $150,000 Grade III Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita. The Exchange Rate filly, trained by Simon Callaghan, is 2-for-3 with a win last time out in the Grade III Senorita Stakes. Lady Prancealot and Hostess also get a nod from the Santa Anita linemaker.

Turf Mile

A Thread of Blue and Forty Under are the morning-line favorites in a field of nine for Saturday's $500,000 Grade II Penn Mile for 3-year-olds at Penn National.

A Thread of Blue, a Hard Spun colt, won all three stars in Florida this winter, finishing with the Grade III Palm Beach Stakes. He finished second after leading most of the way in the Grade II American Turf on Derby Day at Churchill Downs. Forty Under, by Uncle Mo, finished second in the Woodhaven Stakes at Aqueduct in his last race.

Turf Sprint

A nice field of 10 turned up in the entry box for Saturday's $120,000 Mighty Beau Stakes at Churchill Downs. It's a well-matched bunch save, perhaps, for the 2-1 favorite, Bobby's Wicked One, who drew the outside gate. The Al Stall Jr. trainee, a 4-year-old Speightstown colt, won the Grade III Commonwealth at Keeneland two starts back, then was second in the Grade I Churchill Downs Stakes on Derby Day. Jockey Miguel Mena will have to get Bobby's Wicked One going quickly to get position in the 5-furlongs dash.

Emmaus and Curlin's Honor share the morning-line honors prior to Saturday's $175,000 (Canadian) Grade II Connaught Cup at Woodbine. Emmaus, the 2-1 favorite, was second in the Elusive Quality Stakes at Belmont Park in his first North American start April 27. Curlin's Honor, 5-2 on the line, was third in the Grade III Jacques Cartier in his most recent effort.

Sprint/Turf Mile

Pink Lloyd's at it again in Saturday's $125,000 (Canadian) Greenwood Stakes at Woodbine. The 7-year-old Old Forester gelding is the 1-5 favorite in a field of seven. After posting an 11-race winning streak in 2017 and 2018, Pink Lloyd has three wins from his last six starts. A win Saturday at 6 furlongs on the all-weather course would put the new streak at 2.

Share the Upside, Wilbo and Mr. Crow figure in a field of seven for Saturday's $125,000 Aristides Stakes at Churchill Downs. Share the Upside had a win over the track last November and acquitted himself well in Arkansas during the interim. Wilbo was second in this race two years ago and third last year and posted a win under the Twin Spires three weeks ago. Mr. Crow was second in the Grade I Vosburgh two starts back and second in last year's Aristides.

We won't ask why the 7-furlongs Aristides is named after the horse that won the first Kentucky Derby -- at 1 1/2 miles.