BALTIMORE - In the Kentucky Derby, it was shock. In Saturday’s Preakness, it was disappointment. Trainer Steve Asmussen left Pimlico on Saturday evening bitterly disappointed after Epicenter, surprisingly second-to-last through the opening half-mile, rallied to finish second, 1 1/4 lengths behind Early Voting in Saturday’s 147th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. The runner-up finish in the Preakness came two weeks after Epicenter finished second to 80-1 shot Rich Strike in the Kentucky Derby. In the Derby, Asmussen felt Epicenter had as good a trip as he could have wanted. That wasn’t the case Saturday. “Maybe couldn’t have done anything different,” Asmussen said of the Derby result. “And I think it was our fault this time. Big difference.” In the Derby, Epicenter was eighth early, six lengths behind a half-mile in 45.36 seconds. On Saturday, Epicenter was eighth early, 7 1/2 lengths behind a half-mile in 47.44 seconds. Asmusssen couldn’t believe it. :: Bet the Belmont Stakes with confidence! Join DRF Bets and get a $250 deposit match bonus, $10 free bet, and access to FREE DRF Formulator! “I was past surprised, I was disappointed,” Asmussen said. “You got to leave the gates to have any position whatsoever, then they throw up 24-and-1 [opening quarter] and you’re that far back with a horse that obviously has pace. It just gave him too much to do.” Epicenter’s early position was partly a result of lack of aggression from jockey Joel Rosario and then him having to steady when Happy Jack, from his inside, and Skippylongstocking, on his outside, tightened things up on him soon after the start. “I sent him out of there, but I don’t have the horse to keep my spot," Rosario said. “They kind of blocked me, so I had to go to the inside and ride him from there.” “When he went under the wire the first time by, he was just eating him,” Asmussen said. Rosario had Epicenter on the inside down the backside and, going into the far turn, Epicenter was following Creative Minister, who then was tipped off the rail by Brian Hernandez Jr., creating some room for Epicenter. Rosario advanced him along the inside and he rallied by a tiring Fenwick, but he couldn’t get to Early Voting, finishing 2 1/4 lengths clear of Creative Minister. Asmussen said the instructions to Rosario were “try to be away from there cleanly and let them adjust around him. But he didn’t get away clean and he just buried him from there.” So, after narrowly losing an opportunity to win his first Kentucky Derby, Asmussen missed out on a chance to win his third Preakness, having captured it in 2007 with Curlin and 2009 with Rachel Alexandra. “Almost doesn’t feel very good anymore,” Asmussen said. Asmussen did note one silver lining from Early Voting’s win. That horse is a son of Gun Runner, who has thrown a bevy of stakes winners in his first crop including now his first classic winner. “Gun Runner is probably the greatest sire of all time,” he said. :: Get ready for the Belmont Stakes with DRF Past performances, picks, clocker reports, and betting strategies!