BALTIMORE – When California Chrome won the Kentucky Derby, racing fans loved the story: down-to-earth owners, an old-school trainer, and a humbly bred colt. The saga could get even better as California Chrome attempts to win Saturday’s Preakness and move closer to a sweep of the Triple Crown.

Among the many things that make Thoroughbred racing the greatest game played outdoors is perception. Colleague and Eclipse Award winner Marcus Hersh struck a chord after last Saturday’s Peter Pan Stakes, tweeting (paraphrasing): Tonalist beating Irish You Well by six lengths in the Peter Pan with a 101 Beyer Figure equals the second coming. Dynamic Impact beating the same horse with a 102 in the Illinois Derby equals crickets.

I try to avoid taking prohibitive favorites coming off perfect-trip wins, but I will make an exception for California Chrome.

California Chrome was clearly best in winning the Kentucky Derby, demonstrating yet again that he is, at least at this point, decidedly superior to his contemporaries. He has now dominated in his last five starts.

The final numbers might have been slow, but there is little doubt that California Chrome was superior to his competition in the Kentucky Derby, and none of the new faces signed on Saturday look any better than the group he handled rather easily at Churchill Downs on May 3.

While it is against my nature to take the chalk, it might be prudent to give the favorite his due again Saturday and look for better upset alternatives going 12 furlongs three weeks down the road at Belmont Park.

California Chrome, a winner of five straight, including blowout victories in the Santa Anita Derby and Kentucky Derby, enters with one major knock – price. The flashy chestnut is expected to be odds-on, wheeling back two weeks after a perfect-trip Derby win.

California Chrome just defeated a more talented, deeper group in the Kentucky Derby, recording his fifth straight stakes victory, and if he runs to his potential at Pimlico, he will win again in the Preakness.

Although the early fractions of the Preakness likely will be much quicker than the slow-paced Kentucky Derby, his temperament and style suggest that California Chrome can adapt. He has the speed to gain position without being headstrong.

[bc_video_id:324438:]BALTIMORE – California Chrome, the Kentucky Derby winner, landed post 3 in a field of 10 when post positions were drawn Wednesday night for the 139th Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.

California Chrome has won five straight races, all by daylight. That, combined with the perceived merits of his nine rivals, prompted Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper, to make him the overwhelming favorite at 2-5, with Social Inclusion next at 10-1.

Watchmaker has Bayern and Ride On Curlin the co-third choices at 12-1.

BALTIMORE – Up With the Birds, the 2013 Canadian Horse of the Year, is among 10 older horses in a competitive renewal of the Grade 2, $400,000 Dixie Stakes, the lead-in to the Preakness on a 13-race Saturday program at Pimlico.

Trained by Malcolm Pierce, Up With the Birds will be trying to rebound off a subpar effort last month at Keeneland in his only start so far this year. The 4-year-old colt will be ridden by Joel Rosario when breaking from post 8 in the 113th running of the Dixie.

BALTIMORE – Bob Baffert began the year with 3-year-old prospects like Hoppertunity, Indianapolis, Midnight Hawk, and Tap It Rich. But when they kicked the gate for the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, his lone representative was Chitu, and he’s down to just one runner, Bayern, for the Preakness Stakes here Saturday at Pimlico.

BALTIMORE – A first-time starter named Segovia accomplished something remarkable at Pimlico in the fifth race May 2. Segovia, last at the first call, rallied along the rail to win going away. And that was the remarkable part. Segovia remains the only horse this May to close along the rail and win at Pimlico.