Slow finish to Derby gives Amoss hope for Lone Sailor in Preakness
BALTIMORE – Aside from Lone Sailor exiting the Kentucky Derby in great shape, Tom Amoss felt compelled to try the Preakness with him for another reason: the slow closing times in the Derby.
“It seems like nobody is talking about it,” said Amoss.
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Following an opening half-mile in 45.77 seconds over the sloppy and sealed surface, Justify went the last six furlongs in 1:18.43 and the last half-mile in 53.01 seconds. The final time for 1 1/4 miles was 2:04.20.
“As much as anybody, I know how sloppy and how slow the track was that day,” said Amoss. “And I certainly don’t want to take anything away from Justify and Good Magic, not at all. They are great horses. It’s just that those final fractions were historically slow by Derby standards.”
Of course, Lone Sailor, a 24-1 shot in the Derby, also wasn’t closing very stoutly over a surface that has been compared to sticky peanut butter. The colt finished eighth, albeit with some trouble when forced to wait behind a stalling Free Drop Billy on the final turn.
“Obviously, the question is, ‘Why are you trying the one-two finishers from the Derby again?’ ” said Amoss, who trains the Majestic Warrior colt for the GMB Racing of Gayle Benson. “The only experience I have to fall back on is Mylute,” third in the 2013 Preakness after finishing fifth in the Derby. “He’s the only measuring stick I have for the short turnaround, and this horse fits the same criteria: his appetite, his weight, his health, overall brightness, his enthusiasm on the racetrack. They’re all good.”
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Lone Sailor, a close second in the Louisiana Derby prior to finishing 9 1/4 lengths behind Justify in the Derby, will have a new jockey in Irad Ortiz Jr., one of the top young riders in the sport.
“Into the Derby, everyone was talking about how good this crop of 3-year-olds was,” said Amoss. “And maybe it’s true. It’s just with those remarkably slow times, I felt like this is a situation we can’t pass up. I realize my horse is going to have to run the race of his lifetime, but we’re going to give it a shot.”
PROSPECTIVE PREAKNESS FIELD
| HORSE | TRAINER | JOCKEY | LAST RACE |
| Bravazo | D. Wayne Lukas | Luis Saez | 6th, Kentucky Derby (CD) |
| Diamond King | John Servis | Javier Castellano | 1st, Tesio Stakes (LRL) |
| Good Magic | Chad Brown | Jose Ortiz | 2nd, Kentucky Derby (CD) |
| Justify | Bob Baffert | Mike Smith | 1st, Kentucky Derby (CD) |
| Lone Sailor | Tom Amoss | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 8th, Kentucky Derby (CD) |
| Quip | Rodolphe Brisset | Florent Geroux | 2nd, Arkansas Derby (OP) |
| Sporting Chance | D. Wayne Lukas | Luis Contreras | 4th, Pat Day Mile (CD) |
| Tenfold | Steve Asmussen | Ricardo Santana, Jr. | 5th, Arkansas Derby (OP) |
