It's Preak Time!

Two weeks ago, Super Saver and Calvin Borel ruled Churchill Downs, giving Todd Pletcher his first Derby win. Now it's time for Pimlico and the second leg of the Triple Crown. The Preakness (named after Preakness, the first winner of the Dinner Party Stakes which is now the Dixie Stakes, a race that will also be run tomorrow), is often where championships are made (as I posted on Monday).

Here is this year's field for the 136th Preakness.

12th (6:12)
Preakness S. (G1)
1 3/16 Miles | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $1,000,000
Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Aikenite Castellano J J Pletcher Todd A 126 LA 20-1
2 2 Schoolyard Dreams Coa E M Ryan Derek S 126 LA 15-1
3 3 Pleasant Prince Leparoux J R Ward Wesley A 126 LA 20-1
4 4 Northern Giant Thompson T J Lukas D Wayne 126 LA 30-1
5 5 Yawanna Twist Prado E S Dutrow, Jr. R E 126 L 30-1
6 6 Jackson Bend Smith M E Zito Nicholas P 126 LA 12-1
7 7 Lookin At Lucky Garcia M Baffert Bob 126 LA 3-1
8 8 Super Saver Borel C H Pletcher Todd A 126 LA 5-2
9 9 Caracortado Atkinson P Machowsky Michael 126 LA 10-1
10 10 Paddy O'Prado Desormeaux K J Romans Dale 126 LA 9-2
11 11 First Dude Dominguez R A Romans Dale 126 LA 20-1
12 12 Dublin Gomez G K Lukas D Wayne 126 LA 10-1

Aikenite is the stablemate of Super Saver, and is coming off a second place finish in the Derby Trial, Schoolyard Dreams finished second just in front of the Derby champ in the Tampa Bay Derby. Pleasant Prince is coming into the race off a third in the Derby Trial, Northern Giant finished second in the Lane's End, and ... Yawanna Twist will have to channel his inner Funny Cide (he's a NY Bred) to have a chance, he's also the closes to a local as his trainer is from Maryland and his jockey started his US career here. Jackson Bend, I still think is a bit overhyped, but he could suprise people. A much better post for Lookin at Lucky, and gets a key jockey change. The champ is here! No jockey has won back to back Preakness' since Pat Day did it three times in a row, and Calvin's record outside of Churchill isn't great, but Super Saver well he's the champ afterall. Caracortado (Scarface is Spanish), is considered to be the best of the new shooters. Paddy O' Prado and his stablemate First Dude have jockeys who know Pimlico very well and Dublin will try to win from the same post that his dad did.

There is not much pace in this race which means if Super Saver gets a loose lead he could wire them. The downside the last time a Maria's Mon colt was going against a Baffert trainee who was very good was Monarchos who ran in the 01 Preakness against Point Given, after defeating the son of Thunder Gulch in the Derby. However Point Given showed that he was a very good horse by turning the tables on Monarchos. That's the one thing that concerns me about this race is that Lucky will turn the tables on Super Saver. Then there is Caracoratdo who ran pretty well in California. I think Paddy sadly is going to bounce in this race. In all this is really not a great race sadly.

My top three are going to be Super Saver, Lookin at Lucky and either Caracorado, Aikenite, Dublin or Yawanna Twist for third. It would be the second Preakness win for Calvin Borel, and first for both Todd Pletcher and WinStar as an owner (they of course bred Funny Cide). Now lets just hope that it ends up this way.

The undercard somewhat leaves alot to be desiered. Rainbow View is in action as is Nicanor and Just as Well, other then those three that's really it. Hopefully the Belmont undercard is better.

Of course my condolences go out to Carolyn Hine as she lost her wonderful Champion Skip Away today at the age of 17. #3 on the North American Earnings List, in a way Skip Away should be #1 as the 1-2 (Curlin and Cigar respectivly) had run in the Dubai World Cup which is why they are 1 and 2. Of many races, "Skippy" as he was called is honored with his own race the Skip Away down at Gulfstream. Somewhat fitting he passes away on the eve of the Preakness which he finished second in 1996 to Louis Quatorze. Skip Away was trained by Mrs. Hine's husband Sonny.

There's no chat tomorrow, I will be announcing the Summer Series List sometime in the next two to three weeks.