BALTIMORE -- Strut the Stage lost the lead in the stretch, then battled back to defeat Del Mar Show in the Grade II Dixie Stakes on Saturday.

The $200,000 turf race was the feature of the undercard at Pimlico Race Course, site of the Preakness.

Strut the Stage broke sharply and set the stage on the rail while being pursued by Del Mar Show. After being headed in mid stretch, the favorite charged ahead and won by 2½ lengths.

Strut the Stage has won both his races this year and is 6-for-8 lifetime. His only other race this year was on April 20 at Keeneland.

"He's a tough little horse. He loves bumping and dueling," trainer Mark Frostad said.

Strut the Stage covered the 1 1-8 miles in 1:39.43 and paid $5.40, $2.80 and $2.430.

Del Mar Show battled gamely before fading under jockey Jerry Bailey, who later rode Medaglia d'Oro in the Preakness.

"It appeared there was no speed in the race, which is what I thought would happen," Bailey said. "He made a good try. It may be a bit father than he really likes to go."

Slew the Red was third and Dr. Brendler finished fourth.

D. Wayne Lukas, trainer of Preakness entrants Proud Citizen and Table Limit, tuned up for the Triple Crown race by saddling Snow Ridge, who became the wire-to-wire winner of the Maryland Breeders' Cup.

Snow Ridge, the betting favorite, beat Smile My Lord to the finish line by 7 3-4 lengths. Clever Gem took third.

Snow Ridge was coming off a disqualification at Churchill Downs, when jockey Mike Smith was cited for hitting a foe with a whip. The infraction dropped the horse from first to second.

"I was concerned about Mike's mental state, but I told him to put it behind him," Lukas said.

Snow Ridge has four wins and a second-place finish in six races this year.

"Wayne is just as brilliant as his horse," Smith said. "What he has done with this horse is truly amazing."

In the Gallorette Handicap, Quidnaskra returned to the track for the first time since October and beat De Aar by three-quarters of a length.

Quidnaskra trainer Mary Eppler assured jockey Chris McCarron that the layoff was meaningless.

"Mary told me that this mare was fit and ready, and that I should lay off the pace and wait as long as I could to make my run," McCarron said. "She was right about her being fit, and the race went exactly the way she said."

In the $100,000 Sir Barton Stakes, Sarava used a late surge to overtake 3-5 favorite Shah Jehan and win by four lengths. No Pressure took third.

Sarava, coming off three straight second-place finishes in allowance races, broke sixth and trailed the two leaders by 1{ lengths heading into the stretch before making the decisive move. He won the 1 1-16th-mile race in 1:41.11.

"The race worked out beautifully," jockey Edgar Prado said. "He broke well and saved ground on both turns. The off track did not bother him at all."

In the $100,000 Hirsch Jacobs Stakes, True Direction pulled away in the stretch to defeat Listen Here and It's a Monster.

True Direction, wearing blinkers for the first time, paid $4.80, $3.40 and $2.60.

"I took a chance that blinkers would help this horse, and they sure did," trainer Carlos Morales said.

After Golden O's won the Seattle Slew Memorial over Tersiguels, trainer John Robb was presented the winner's trophy by Karen Taylor, co-owner of the horse after whom the race was named.

Seattle Slew, who won the Triple Crown in 1977, died earlier this month.

"I was looking forward to this tribute because I can remember how moving these times were 25 years ago," Taylor said.

In the final race before the Preakness, Tenpins won the William Donald Schaefer Handicap.