Preakness: Velazquez takes mount on Simplification
With Jose Ortiz committed to ride Early Voting, John Velazquez has picked up the mount on Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Simplification in the May 21 Preakness Stakes, trainer Antonio Sano said Monday.
“Johnny V’s a good jockey, a good person, has experience,” Sano said Monday. “I’m so happy to have Johnny on the horse.”
Simplification was scheduled leave Kentucky for Baltimore on Monday night.
Velazquez rode Messier to a 15th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. Messier is not running in the Preakness.
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Velazquez, North America’s all-time leading money earner, is winless in 11 rides in the Preakness. He has finished second in the race three times, most recently with 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic. He also finished second in 2011 with Animal Kingdom and in 2013 with Itsmyluckyday. He finished third last year on Medina Spirit.
In the Derby, Simplification was 15th early on and rallied down the center of the track to finish fourth, 3 1/2 lengths behind upset winner Rich Strike.
Ortiz had ridden Simplification in his last three starts, including a win in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and a third in the Grade 1 Florida Derby.
Ortiz has ridden Early Voting in all three of his starts, including a victory in the Grade 3 Withers and a runner-up finish to Mo Donegal in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 9. Early Voting is trained by Chad Brown for owner Seth Klarman.
In other Preakness news, trainer Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon said Shake Em Loose, winner of the Private Terms Stakes in March, is under consideration for the Preakness, but is also being considered for the $100,000 James Murphy Stakes on turf the same day. Sanchez-Salomon said he wants to see who is running in the Preakness and he planned to work the horse on dirt Tuesday and turf next Sunday, with both works at Laurel Park where the gelding is based.