Preakness: American Pharoah draws rail, favored at 4-5

BALTIMORE – American Pharoah, the Kentucky Derby winner, on Wednesday landed the rail and was installed as the odds-on favorite for the 140th Preakness Stakes, which will be run Saturday here at Pimlico.

A field of eight entered the Preakness. From the rail out, the field is American Pharoah, Dortmund, Mr. Z, Danzig Moon, Tale of Verve, Bodhisattva, Divining Rod, and Firing Line.

Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper, has American Pharoah favored at 3-5. Dortmund, the Bob Baffert-trained stablemate of American Pharoah who was third in the Derby, is next at 7-2, with Derby runner-up Firing Line the third choice at 9-2.

Keith Fuestle, the linemaker at Pimlico, has American Pharoah at 4-5, Dortmund at 7-2, and Firing Line at 4-1.

Baffert said the draw was not ideal.

“I’m just glad we didn’t draw that for the Derby,” Baffert said. American Pharoah originally had post 18 in the Derby, and Dortmund post 8.

Having his horses side by side will make the start “easy to watch,” Baffert said.

“We have it. Can’t do anything about it,” he said. “If he’s the best horse,” he said, referring to American Pharoah, “we’re going to find out.”

The lone surprise entrant was Mr. Z, who went into the race following a private sale Wednesday by his original owner, Ahmed Zayat, to the Calumet Farm of Brad Kelley. So, Zayat, who owns American Pharoah, will have as one of his rivals a horse he owned in the Derby and up until three days before the Preakness.

“They gave us an offer we could not refuse,” Zayat said in a phone call from Italy, where he was on a brief business trip.

Mr. Z, 13th in the Derby, was one of five Derby runners entered in the Preakness. But it’s the presence of American Pharoah, Firing Line, and Dortmund – the first three finishers from the Derby – that kept the overall size of the Preakness field down. If all eight start, this will be the smallest Preakness field since 2000, when Red Bullet upset Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus.

American Pharoah arrived at Pimlico around 2:30 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday following a flight from Louisville, where he won the Derby at Churchill Downs on May 2. He continues to wear a protective plate on his left front hoof, as he has for weeks. Preakness runners Danzig Moon, Dortmund, Firing Line, and Tale of Verve also were on the flight.

The Preakness, at 1 3/16 miles, is 110 yards shorter than the Derby and is the shortest of the Triple Crown races.