D. Wayne Lukas jogged both of his Preakness horses, Sporting Chance and Bravazo, over a muddy Pimlico track early Tuesday morning. Lukas and his horses pulled into Pimlico at 3:30 p.m. Monday following an 11 1/2-hour van ride from Churchill Downs.
The 158-year-old Woodlawn Vase, symbolic of victory in the Preakness Stakes, is commonly valued at $1 million. That's nice round number assuring its place in opening paragraphs such as this.
It's good to be Bob Baffert. The trainer who has sent four previous Kentucky Derby winners on to win the Preakness two weeks later is targeting the double for the fifth time this Saturday with Justify.
Justify was chased home by 19 horses in the Kentucky Derby on May 5 at Churchill Downs, but when he lines up for the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico it appears as few as seven will try to stop him from sweeping the Triple Crown.
When Diamond King starts at Pimlico on Saturday in the 143rd Preakness, John Servis and Chuck Zacney will participate in a Triple Crown race for the first time since Smarty Jones and Afleet Alex were voted Eclipse Awards for their 3-year-old accomplishments.
Trainer Rodolphe Brisset and jockey Florent Geroux were buddies even before making names for themselves with their racetrack feats.
Bolt d'Oro, 12th in the Kentucky Derby, will not run in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico and will instead be pointed to the $1.2 million Met Mile on the Belmont Stakes card June 9, owner-trainer Mick Ruis said Sunday morning.
Trainer Chad Brown, who had been hinting at running Good Magic in the Preakness since Thursday, confirmed him as a starter on Sunday after the colt galloped 1 3/8 miles over Belmont Park’s main track.
Javier Castellano will ride Diamond King in the Preakness Stakes, trainer John Servis confirmed Saturday morning.
Despite a four-day suspension for careless riding at Santa Anita on May 6, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will be able to ride Justify in the Preakness Stakes next Saturday.
