Here we are, its 5/16/15, time for the 140th running of the Grade I Preakness Stakes! In the lucky 13th Pimlico race of the day, at 6:18 p.m. EST, the 1.5 million dollar purse race will begin. Just 8 of 14 possible horses, the smallest field since 2000, are competing in this race and only one of them could someday be a Triple Crown winner!
The Preakness Stakes takes place at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Just like the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes it shares the same dirt track, flower, and drink. See yesterdays post Filly Friday. They also eat crabcakes, yuk! To make the Black-Eyed Susan flower blanket, for the winning horse, since 1940, they painted the centers of about 4 thousand daisies black, now they use Viking Poms. I fudged a little on my own flower pic above too and darkened up the middle. The race is called “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans.” The reason they use the wrong flower is because the Black Eyed Susan blooms in June in Maryland and it is only May so daisies are in season. I just need to take more flower pictures, myself. The winning owner gets a silver trophy replica of The Woodlawn Vase, made in 1860 and valued at 1 million dollars. This copy is sterling valued at $30,000. They also paint the jockey silks on the weather vane on top of the Old Clubhouse to match the winning owner’s colors after the race is won. The song of the day is “Maryland, My Maryland.” It reminds me of “O Christmas Tree.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJcHNCZNj24
The first race occurred in 1873. By 1932 it was the second leg of the Triple Crown series. Secretariat ran the speed record at 1:53. Smarty Jones won by the most lengths at 11 and 1/2.
Let’s check out the contenders, listed in post position…
- American Pharoah
- Dortmund
- Mr. Z
- Danzig Moon
- Tale of Verve
- Bodhisattva
- Divining Rod
- Firing Line
I want a Triple Crown winner. We have not seen one since 1978 with Affirmed. Thus, I’m pulling for the favorite, American Pharoah. The KY Derby was his 5th win straight of 6 starts. 4 of those wins were Grade I stakes. He won an Eclipse Award at 2 years old. This horse won the KY Derby by a length. He is a California horse just like last years winner, California Chrome. Right next to American Pharoah on the rail is Dortmund, these two horses have the same trainer Bob Baffert. All 3 of his previous KY Derby winners have gone on to win the Preakness. Baffert has trained 5 Preakness winners total. Dortmond lost his first race ever at the KY Derby but still managed to come in 3rd, 3 lengths behind the winner. Mr. Z was just involved in a quick sale. He was owned by Zayat Stables when he came in 13th in a field of 18 at the KY Derby. Just days ago, Calumet Farm in Lexington, KY bought him and decided to give him the chance Zayat was not. Zayat still has American Pharoah in the race and he was going to give Mr. Z a break to build confidence. The trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, remained throughout and he thinks the horse is ready now. The fun thing about studying horse racing is the learning. I would have figured horses hated the transportation part but his trainer says the scenic van ride from Kentucky to Maryland was very good for the horse. Calumet Farms has the most wins of any owner in the Preakness. Lukas has the 2nd most wins of any trainer in the Preakness. Danzig Moon also ran in the KY Derby. He came in 5th place running from the 5th pole position. This Thoroughbred is close to the same post now. He lost by more than 6 lengths. Of the 8 horses running the Preakness, 5 ran in the KY Derby and he was the 2nd to last of these. Jockey Julien Leparoux did prefer this horse to ride over Divining Rod. Tale of the Verve wanted to run in the KY Derby but he didn’t make the cut. He has won a Gr. I stakes of the same length as the Preakness. He won his maiden race at Keeneland. Tale of the Verve is probably your biggest long shot of the day. Bodhisattva was not a KY Derby horse. He is however, the only horse in the race with a win at Pimlico. Divining Rod did not run in the KY Derby either. He is probably the best of the 3 without KY Derby experience. This horse did win the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland and he has Javier Castellano for a jockey. He just won the 2015 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at this same track yesterday! Last but not least, Firing Line, was 2nd place by a length in the KY Derby. Thus we have the top 3 KY Derby horses running in the Preakness. That has happened 7 times in the prior 20 years and never have they come in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in repeat order.
My handicapper says, “Historically, horses that win the derby from on or near the pace do extremely well in the Preakness. Derby winners that come from far back have struggled in the Preakness. Since the top three finishers in the KY Derby were all very close to the lead, I expect all three of them to run very well in Baltimore. I will be boxing American Pharoah, Firing Line, and Dortmund in the exacta and I’ll add Danzig Moon in a trifecta and superfecta box.”
My tipster also inspired me to consider the strong possibility of rain. Looks like the favorite American Pharoah loves mud. 34 horses have won the KY Derby and the Preakness. Fingers crossed, I want the chance at the Triple Crown!
Update: A record crowd of 131,680 attended the Preakness to see American Pharoah win. This was the 14th time since 1978’s Triple Crown that a horse has won both the KY Derby at the Preakness. Finish order was:
- American Pharoah
- Tale of Verve
- Divining Rod
- Dortmund
- Mr. Z
- Danzig M00n
- Firing Line
- Bodhisattva
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