The plot for Saturday’s 127th Preakness took some intriguing twists and turns during Wednesday’s drawing for post positions.
When 11 of the 13 slots were drawn to determine the post-position selection order, trainer Bob Baffert was faced with opposite possibilities–the first pick or the last for frontrunning Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem.
War Emblem’s name was drawn next, and Baffert got choice No. 1, so Equality’s trainer, H. Graham Motion, was stuck with 13.
Baffert used that first pick to select post position No. 8.
“I knew both speed horses (Booklet and Table Limit) wanted to be outside of me,” Baffert said. “I figured I’d put them way outside of me.
“We’re not going to change our tactics. That’s War Emblem’s strength–to get out there and go. He’s a very good horse but he has had everything his own way [in the Illinois Derby and the Kentucky Derby]. Now, we’re surrounded. He has to break clean.”
As Baffert anticipated, the trainers of Triple Crown newcomers Booklet and Table Limit decided to put their horses outside of War Emblem. D. Wayne Lukas put Table Limit alongside in No. 9 and John Ward sent Booklet, the horse most likely to engage War Emblem in an early duel, in No. 10.
According to Ward, Baffert’s strategic move “set the tone.”
“Normally, the first pick would have been 4, 5 or 6,” Booklet’s trainer said. “This time there was [some] suspense. After Bob took No. 8 it made us watch every post position.
“War Emblem is a very volatile horse but he has a beautiful stride and the Derby didn’t take anything out of him.”
But Ward says Fountain of Youth winner Booklet has the ability to match strides with War Emblem if that’s what jockey Pat Day decides to do.
“Look at the Florida Derby (in which Booklet finished fourth),” said Ward. “He ran the fastest first half mile (:45.36) in the history of the race.
“On Saturday, he should be able to establish a good position going into the first turn. He will be outside [War Emblem] controlling the speed.
Both Ward and Lukas said they would have made the same strategic move as Baffert if they had his horse and his pick.
“You know what War Emblem is going to do,” said Lukas. “You shouldn’t be surprised if he waltzes by the grandstand all by himself–the first time around.”
Lukas’ Kentucky Derby runner-up, Proud Citizen, wound up with the 11th pick and he chose the No. 12 post position (rather than No. 1 or No. 13).
“I really had no choice with Proud Citizen,” said Lukas. “We have a little bit fitter horse than he was in the Derby, we have a new set of players and we go a 16th of a mile shorter. The thing in our favor is that we have a very versatile horse.”
Besides War Emblem and Proud Citizen only two of the Kentucky Derby’s other 18 contestants are in the Preakness–fourth-place finisher Medaglia d’Oro, who got off to a bad start, and Harlan’s Holiday, who went off the 6-1 favorite and wound up seventh in the worst performance of his 11-race career.
Following the post-position drawing, Pimlico’s new linemaker, Frank Carulli, added another element of intrigue to the Preakness by making Medaglia d’Oro the 5-2 choice on his morning line. War Emblem was his second choice at 3-1 followed by Harlan’s Holiday at 9-2 and Proud Citizen at 6-1.
Competing in Kentucky, Arkansas, California and New York, Medaglia d’ Orio has won two of five races for California-based trainer Bobby Frankel, who won 18 Grade I races with 13 horses last year but is 0-for-4 in the Kentucky Derby and 0-for-1 in the Preakness.
Frankel has made a jockey change for the Preakness, replacing Laffit Pincay, who has won more races than any rider in history, with Jerry Bailey, who last year was voted North America’s top jockey for the fifth time in seven years.
At the post-position drawing Frankel was conspicious by his absence and he and Medaglia d’Oro will continue to be Pimlico no-shows on Thursday and Friday.
The San Felipe winner and Wood Memorial runner-up is scheduled to be vanned to the track from New York’s Belmont Park on Saturday morning.
The last Preakness winner to arrive on race day was Deputed Testamony, but he was coming only from trainer Bill Boniface’s farm on the fringe of the Baltimore metropolitan area.
The field
PP HORSE JOCKEY ODDS
1. U S S Tinosa Desormeaux 15-1
2. Magic Weisner No rider 40-1
3. Straight Gin Albarado 30-1
4. Crimson Hero McCarron 20-1
5. Medaglia d’Oro Bailey 5-2
6. Harlan’s Holiday Prado 9-2
7. Easyfromthegitgo Meche 15-1
8. War Emblem Espinoza 3-1
9. Table Limit Stevens 30-1
10. Booklet Day 10-1
11. Menacing Dennis Pino 50-1
12. Proud Citizen Smith 6-1
13. Equality Dominguez 20-1
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Preakness outlook
Tribune staff reporter Neil Milbert assesses the field:
When: Saturday, 5:09 p.m. Where: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore TV: WMAQ-Ch.5; 4:30 p.m. 13/16 miles.
(Horses listed in handicap order, with Pimlico morning line; all carry 126 pounds)
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
6 Harlan’s Holiday Edgar Prado K.McPeek 9-2
COMMENT: Derby only bad race
5 Medaglia d’Oro Jerry Bailey B.Frankel 5-2
COMMENT: Had excuses in Derby
8 War Emblem Victor Espinoza B.Baffert 3-1
COMMENT: Catch me if you can
12 Proud Citizen Mike Smith D.W.Lukas 6-1
COMMENT: With help could win
10 Booklet Pat Day J.Ward 10-1
COMMENT: Important new element
7 Easyfromthegitgo Donnie Meche S.Asmussen 15-1
COMMENT: Has outrun War Emblem
1 U S S Tinosa Kent Desormeaux J.Hollendorfer 15-1
COMMENT: Almost always in $
9 Table Limit Gary Stevens D.W.Lukas 30-1
COMMENT: Two good appetizers
4 Crimson Hero Chris McCarron N.Zito 15-1
COMMENT: Won here in autumn
13 Equality R. Dominguez H.G.Motion 20-1
COMMENT: Took Derby–at Tampa
3 Straight Gin Robby Albarado N.Zito 30-1
COMMENT: Sire 2nd in Preakness
2 Magic Weisner no rider N.Alberts 40-1
COMMENT: Local hoss no yokel
11 Menacing Dennis Mario Pino J.Bonde 50-1
COMMENT: Has speed; lacks class
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