Vertical Threat © Benoit Photo

Five horses are scheduled to battle Saturday in the first running of the Smiling Tiger Stakes, but most of the focus in the six-panel dash for 3-year-olds will be on a pair of speedsters named Vertical Threat and Ragtime Blues.

The former, who carries the colors Slam Dunk Racing or MyRacehorse.com and trains out of the barn of Richard Baltas, won for fun on the lead at six furlongs at Los Alamitos last month and has been pegged an ever-so-slight favorite in the $65,000 overnight test at 6/5. Right behind him at 7/5 is SF Racing, Starlight Racing, et al’s Ragtime Blues, a double sprint winner already this year who comes out of the powerhouse barn of conditioner Bob Baffert.

The Smiling Tiger will go as the 2nd Race on Saturday’s 11-race card, which also features a pair of Grade II headliners in the $150,000 San Clemente Stakes and the $150,000 San Diego Handicap.

Joining the top two in the Smiling Tiger are Michael Feigenbaum’s Annie’s Boy, Del Secco DCS Racing’s Thanks Mr. Eidson and C T R Stables’ Howbeit.

Vertical Threat, a son of Tapiture, keeps his winning jock from his last trip in Heriberto Figueroa, while Ragtime Blues, a Union Rags offspring, retains the saddle services of Hall of Famer Mike Smith.

Here’s the lineup for the sprint in post order with jocks and odds:

Annie’s Boy (Edwin Maldonado, 12-1); Thanks Mr. Eidson (Geovanni Franco, 7/2); Ragtime Blues; Vertical Threat, and Howbeit (Abel Cedillo, 12-1).

Frist post Saturday – and on all days at the current Del Mar meeting – will be 2 p.m.