Who’s your Preakness Stakes favorite now that Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is bypassing the second leg of the Triple Crown?
Could it be Crude Velocity, unbeaten in three starts after an overpowering win in the Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on Derby Day?
How about the maiden Ocelli, the 70-1 Derby longshot who finished third, less than a length behind Golden Tempo?
Or Silent Tactic, a deep closer like Golden Tempo, who was a late Derby scratch due to a foot issue.
And how about local favorite Taj Mahal, also unbeaten in three starts (all at Laurel Park) for Brittany Russell, who just could be the first female trainer to win the Preakness?
No Derby winner, no Renegade, no Commandment, no Further Ado means a Preakness with no star power, no rematches. No Triple Crown possibility. But it offers an opportunity for bettors to make a big score on a large field without a single Grade 1 winner on the list of possible starters.
Unlike a year ago, even with Sovereignty in the field, Derby runner-up Journalism muscled his way between horses and then edged Gosger in a thrilling finish to Preakness 150.
The Preakness finish next Saturday promises to be exciting as well, but bettors beware of a large field without a clear-cut favorite in a large field racing over a track (Laurel Park) that has never hosted the Preakness before.
With that, here’s a look at our top five Preakness contenders (the post-position draw and morning-line odds will be announced on Monday, May 11th):
Unbeaten in three starts after his impressive score in the Pat Day Mile (G1) on Derby Day, the Bob Baffert factor could make him the favorite. Baffert has won the Preakness a record eight times. Crude Velocity’s stalking style makes him a choice for the early favorite. Baffert has three other possibles for the race in Derby also-rans Potente, Litmus Test, and Cherokee Nation.
Baffert was beaming after the race.
“I knew he was something really special,” Baffert said of Crude Velocity. “He's a freaky horse, a really freaky horse.”
Withdrawn from Derby consideration by trainer Steve Asmussen, Chip Honcho could be on the verge of a big race. His preps for the Derby included a win in the Gun Runner Stakes, fourth in the Lecomte Stakes (G2), second in the Risen Star Stakes (G2), and third in the Louisiana Derby (G2), all at the Fair Grounds. He’s had four steady workouts at Churchill Downs and comes in well rested.
Can a maiden who ran third in the Derby at 70-1 odds after getting into the field as an also-eligible win the Preakness? Unlikely, but he will be an intriguing contender for trainer Whit Beckman and is likely to be among the top 3 betting choices. The last maiden to win the Preakness? Refund in 1888. The last to try? Bodemeister, who reared back after the starting gate opened as jockey John Velazquez was thrown to the ground, ran the entire race without a rider.
On the Preakness, Beckman said: “If you look at it from a pace perspective, it could go as fast as the Derby,” Beckman said (helpful to Ocelli, a closer). “He’s doing great. That’s the only reason I’m saying ‘yeah, maybe.’ The horse is doing fantastic. The horse is made of iron. Generally, I run a horse, and they may not come to the front of their stall for a week. He was right there.”
No horse in the race will be more familiar with Laurel Park than Taj Mahal, 3-for-3 over the track, most recently in the Federico Tesio Stakes to earn an automatic berth in the Preakness. This front-running son of Derby winner Nyquist steps up in class, but without the top 3-year-old in the field, bettors will be enticed to go his way. Plus, who wouldn’t like to see Brittany Rusell, Maryland’s top trainer, become the first female trainer to win the Preakness two weeks after Cherie Devaux becomes the first female trainer to win the Derby?
Trainer Chad Brown is hoping a break for Iron Honor (he skipped the Derby) will help him rebound after a disappointing seventh in the Wood Memorial (G2). The colt won the Gotham Stakes (G2) to kick off his 3-year-old season.
The huge gray gelding reared up, flipped behind the starting gate, and was scratched. Trainer John Ennis says it was nothing, and he’ll be ready to go in the Preakness. OK. Is he beatable? In this field, if he’s running, he has a chance.
A little sketchy on his health. A late Derby scratch with some foot issues, trainer Mark Casse believes he’ll be ready to go again. Deep closers don’t fare too well over Laurel’s dirt surface, so this would be a tough assignment. He does have impressive credentials: a win in the Southwest Stakes (G3) and seconds in the Smarty Jones Stakes, Rebel Stakes (G2), and Arkansas Derby (G1), all at Oaklawn Park.
Others that could show up for the race include Corona de Oro, Crupper, Express Kid, Napoleon Solo, Wild Warrior, Pretty Boy Miah, Talkin, and The Hell We Did.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
