In the moments immediately following the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, trainer Bill Mott said his thoughts were of how well his colts Country House and Tacitus had run, and he figured they’d both be bound for the Belmont Stakes next.
An official for The Stronach Group said on Monday afternoon that the company still plans to hold the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore next year despite the closure of the north end of the track’s grandstand due to “the deterioration and degradation of the building.”
The winner of the inaugural Oaklawn Invitational for 3-year-olds on May 4 at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., will receive a free berth into the Preakness Stakes, the Maryland Jockey Club announced Friday.
TimeformUS Speed Figure Report for week ending May 20, 2018
Despite sloppy conditions and what appeared on paper to be a less-than-stellar betting race, total handle on the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore set a record while all-sources handle on the entire 14-race card was down 4.4 percent, according to charts of the day's races.
Wagering on the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Saturday was a record $61.97 million, according to a chart of the race, with unusually sharp handle gains for exotic bets like the trifecta, superfecta, and super hi-5.
Play continues today at the first-ever live-bankroll final table at the World Horseplayers’ Tour/Santa Anita Preakness contest. A field of 92 entries put up $5,000 each to compete in the money-added event, which is being filmed as a television pilot. There was no entry fee: The entire $5,000 acted as a live bankroll.
This is not Bob Baffert’s first rodeo. It’s his fifth. And because he’s been in this situation four times previously, with a colt heading to the Belmont Stakes seeking a Triple Crown sweep after wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, he knows what he must do to have Justify at his best on June 9 at Belmont Park.
The Preakness Stakes broadcast on NBC on Saturday from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore posted a 5.5 overnight rating and a 12 share, according to the network, a 12 percent gain in the rating over last year.
Let’s cut right to the chase in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s Preakness Stakes: Completing a sweep of the Triple Crown is going to be difficult for Justify.
