Are you Preakness prepared? Well, don’t despair. Thoroughbred U is there, for all you race day cares! Read on if you dare, to become well aware…
The 143rd running of the $ 1.5 million dollar Preakness Stakes is scheduled at Pimlico Race Course this Saturday. The race is 1 and 3/16th miles (9.5 furlongs) on dirt for 3 year-old Thoroughbreds. Pimlico, located in Baltimore, MD, is nearly the oldest surviving Thoroughbred race track in America. The second jewel of the Triple Crown has been hosted by Pimlico almost annually. Last year a record crown attended. With high hopes for another Triple Crown winner in the minds and hearts of horse racing fans everywhere, I expect a large crowd and huge television ratings for this race.
Only 2 weeks after the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness will post May 19th at 6:48 P.M. ET. The stakes is the lucky 13th race on a card of 14. Eight of the day’s races at Pimlico are graded stakes. The first race will break at 10:30 A.M. ET and the final race goes off at 7:35 P.M. ET. NBC Sports Network will provide televised coverage from 2:30 P.M. ET to 5 P.M ET switching over to NBC from 5 to 7 P.M. ET.
Traditions of the race include singing, “Maryland, My Maryland”, drinking the Black-Eyed Susan, eating crab based dishes, presenting the winner with a state flower themed, black-eyed Susan replica garland and the 1860’s Woodlawn Vase by Tiffany and Co. Check my Black-Eyed Susan Stakes post for the drink recipe and an upcoming post to learn how to bake a Black-Eyed Susan Cake. Dress to the nines or come as you are. Meanwhile, a party and concert takes place in the infield of Old Hilltop. The weather vane seen in the top photo will have the jockey silks painted in the colors of the winning owner.
The field is select. Here are your contenders by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/breeder/and morning-line odds:
- Quip/Florent Geroux/Rodolphe Brisset/WinStar Farm, LLC., China Horse Club and SF Racing/WinStar Farm, LLC./12-1
- Lone Sailor/Irad Ortiz, Jr./Thomas M. Amoss/GMB Racing/Alexander-Groves-Matz, LLC./15-1
- Sporting Chance/Luis Contreras/D. Wayne Lukas/Robert C. Baker and William Mack/Hunter Valley/30-1
- Diamond King/Javier Castellano/John C. Servis/Cash is King LLC., Leonard Green and L C Racing/JSM Equine, LLC./30-1
- Good Magic/Jose L. Ortiz/Chad C. Brown/e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables/Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings,LLC./3-1
- Tenfold/Ricardo Santana, Jr./Steven M. Asmussen/Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC./Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC./20-1
- Justify/Mike E. Smith/Bob Baffert/China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing and WinStar Farm/John D. Gunther/1-2
- Bravazo/Luis Saez/D. Wayne Lukas/Calumet Farm/Calumet Farm/20-1
Now some facts and my thoughts following each horse (sire/dam)- state of breeding – (career starts-wins-place-show):
Quip (Distorted Humor/Princess Ash) – KY – (5-3-1-0): Quip’s connections chose not to race in the Kentucky Derby despite the face that he had 90 points to qualify for the race. He finished 2nd in the Arkansas Derby and they wanted him to have more than 3 weeks of rest time. If that philosophy sticks he won’t attempt the Belmont Stakes, 6/9/18, regardless of his outcome. Personally, I prefer a Triple Crown mentality that encourages contenders to participate in each leg. However, I like what is best for the health of the animal too. Quip has been tested in 3 graded stakes, winning one. I enjoyed watching him win in his second race, which was his second win, when he raced at Keeneland. Quip has raced a 4 tracks in 3 states but not Maryland. His jockey, Geroux, has raced in the Preakness the previous 2 years but the connections have yet to win.
Lone Sailor (Majestic Warrior/Ambitious) -KY – (9-1-3-1): After breaking from the KY Derby gate a bit slow and then finding himself in the heavy traffic of 20 contenders in the slop he lost a shoe and still finished 8th with energy. That is why he’ll make every effort to redeem himself in the Preakness. Over 4 tracks in 3 states, excluding MD, Lone Sailor has participated in 5 graded stakes. He hit the board in 2 stakes and 1 raced in black type race. He is a closer but he has won in the slop as well and rain is projected. This will be a first time entry for Ortiz in the Preakness and a second time for Amoss. Lone Sailor’s connections have no Preakness wins.
Sporting Chance (Tiznow/Wynning Ride) – KY – (7-2-1-1): Sporting Chance did not race in the KY Derby, rather on the same track, that same day he finished 4th in the Pat Day Mile. I wonder if things would have gone differently for Sporting Chance had he not been disqualified for bumping around in the Blue Grass Stakes in his final KY Derby prep race? He has raced at 4 tracks in 3 states but not in MD. At age 2 he won a Grade I stakes. His last 5 races were all graded stakes. Lukas holds the record for most Triple Crown race wins and has won several Preakness Stakes races over the years, tied for second with Baffert.
Diamond King (Quality Road/Akron Moon) – KY (6-4-0-1): Diamond King is a surprise entry to me. I honestly have not studied him well. He only participated in 1 KY Derby prep race in which he clipped heels and lost his rider leading to a Did Not Finish result. He has raced at 4 tracks in 4 states, most importantly to me, twice in Maryland where he finished 1st in each of those black type races. His jockey, Castellano, won the Preakness just last year with Cloud Computing. Additionally, his trainer Servis won the Preakness in 2004 with Smarty Jones. Finally, his owner, won it in 2005 with Afleet Alex. His odds are low but his threat is high!
Good Magic (Curlin/Glinda the Good) – KY – (6-2-3-1): Good Magic has the good blood. His sire, Curlin, was the 2007 Preakness winner who was owned by the same owner as Good Magic. He also has the good trainer, Brown won the 2017 Preakness. Good Magic finished 2nd in the KY Derby after a 1st place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes. In 5 graded stakes he is always 1st or 2nd. An Eclipse Award 2 Year Old Champion, this horse may be the best at 3 too?
Tenfold (Curlin/Temptress) – KY – (3-2-0-0): Tenfold is additionally an unexpected entry for me. Lightly raced, exclusively at Oaklawn, he finished 5th his last time out in his only graded stakes entry. He shares the winning sire of Good Magic, Curlin, who was trained by Asmussen. The trainer also won the Preakness with Rachel Alexandra in 2009. That Curlin bloodline may produce some needed mudders.
Justify (Scat Daddy/Stage Magic) – KY – (4-4-0-0): Justify, the undefeated champion, fooled me with his lack of entries, only CA starts, and zero entries at 2 year of age. He broke a record from the 1882 with his KY Derby win. Known as the curse of Apollo, no horse un-raced at 2 YO has won the KY Derby since Apollo did it. He has me thinking he is our lucky 13 Triple Crown winner now! He won it in the mud and mud is expected for Preakness. I hope he does win. Justify has some winning connections too, Baffert is tied with Lukas at 6 wins each in the Preakness. Way back in 1993, his rider, Smith, won the race with Prairie Bayou.
Bravazo (Awesome Again/Tiz O’ Gold) – KY- (9-3-1-1): Bravazo is another Lukas trained horse. He is well traveled at 5 tracks but un-raced in MD. He performed 6th of 20 in the KY Derby following a bump. In 5 graded stakes he has won and placed. Calumet holds the most wins in the Preakness for an owner at 7. If Justify doesn’t win I’d enjoy a Lukas winner.
If you are heading to Maryland bring your raincoats and your cameras. I’d love for you to share your picks and pictures with me. I hope this post gives the information you’ll need to get the most out of the middle jewel. The game is a little more fair when you’re Preakness prepared!
