PREAKNESS STAKES, 13th RACE
Post Time: 6:48 p.m. (NBC-TV, Sirius-XM Ch. 201)
Post Positions; Morning Line; Starts W-P-S; Best Beyer; Earnings
1. (4-1) WAR OF WILL (9-3-1-1); 95; $501,569
Mark Casse/Tyler Gaffalione
Turned in his career best Beyer at the Kentucky Derby, and that was despite being cut off at the top of the stretch by Maximum Security. Casse’s only in-the-money finish from four Preakness starts was Classic Empire’s loss by a head to Cloud Computing in 2017.
2. (12-1) BOURBON WAR (5-2-1-0); 93; $202,100
Mark Hennig/Irad Ortiz Jr.
Lack of early pace doomed the 3-year-old son of multiple stakes winning sire Tapit in the Florida Derby; ninth at the quarter pole but got up for fourth at the finish. Hennig’s first Preakness since 2004; jockey was fifth aboard Lone Sailor in 2018. This $410,000 yearling’s pedigree suggests he’s more suited for the longer Belmont Stakes in three weeks.
3. (12-1) WARRIOR’S CHARGE; 97; (5-2-0-3) $138,100
Brad Cox/JJ Castellano
Owners are paying a $150,000 supplemental late fee for a shot at the $900,000 winner’s purse. Colt is stabled at Oaklawn Park, a track that’s prepped four Preakness winners the last 15 years. His Beyer jumped from 89 on March 16 up to 97 his last out on April 12.
4. (5-2) IMPROBABLE (6-3-2-0); 96; $759,520
Bob Baffert/Mike Smith
Sent off as the lukewarm post time favorite (4-1) in the muddy Kentucky Derby, earned $50,000 when he was moved from fifth to fourth after the winner (Maximum Security) was DQ’d. Baffert’s saddled seven Preakness winners and gets top West Coast jock Mike Smith for the ride.
5. (10-1) OWENDALE (8-3-1-1); 98; $187,225
Brad Cox/Florent Geroux
Lexington Stakes winner
Rounding into top form with the top last race and best overall Beyer winning the Gr. 3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 13. Worked a bullet best-of-31 five furlongs in :59.1 at Churchill Downs on May 11. “Should get a good early pace to lead into the closing move,” notes turfwriter Matt Shifman of Horse Racing Nation. Trainer wins at a 25 percent clip, jockey never better than sixth in three previous Preakness rides.
6. (30-1) MARKET KING (8-1-1-2); 83; $148,007
D. Wayne Lukas/Jon Court
Venerable trainer has saddled 43 horses for the Preakness, and the most recent of his five wins was with Oxbow in 2013. Sixteen horses have won the Preakness from post position six. The $550,000 yearling purchase has been turning in solid morning works after disappointing 11th place finish in the Blue Grass.
7. (8-1) ALWAYS SMILING (12-7-0-1); 96; $386,192
Kelly Rubley/Daniel Senteno
Seeking seventh straight win, last out was an 11½ -length score in the Frederico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park as the 1-20 odds-on favorite. Maryland-bred gelding makes first start on the Pimlico strip for trainer and jockey who are making their Preakness debuts.
8. (30-1) SIGNALMAN (7-2-2-2); 88; $552,990
Ken McPeek/Brian Hernandez Jr.
The biggest money-earner in field comes in rested after a four month layoff and two starts in ’19 — 7th in Fountain of Youth and third at the Blue Grass. Earnings were off the third-place finish in the BC Juvenile and winning the Kentucky Jockey Club Gold Cup, both in November at Churchill Downs. McPeek’s fifth Preakness, best result was in 2017 when Senior Investment ran third.
9. (20-1) BODEXPRESS (6-M-3-0); 96; $208,700
Gustavo Delgado/JR Velazquez
Maiden’s career earnings and big Beyer number were both the result of a runner-up finish at 71-1 odds in the Florida Derby. Different outcome at the Kentucky Derby where he again was sent off at 71-1 and finished 14th. Johnny V has two runner-up finishes from eight previous mounts at the Preakness.
10. (50-1) EVERFAST (10-1-1-1); 79; $134,805
Dale Romans/Joel Rosario
Longshot’s lone win was in August at Ellis Park. The slow Beyer and low career earnings portend a poor outcome in the Preakness.
11. (20-1) LAUGHING FOX (7-3-0-0); 91; $338,518
Steve Asmussen/Ricardo Santana Jr.
Chestnut colt followed up his fourth place effort in the Arkansas Derby at 27-1 by winning the $300K OP Invitational by a neck at 4-1 odds. Asmussen won with Curlin in 2007, and Oaklawn horses have fared well at Pimlico.
12. (6-1) ANOTHERTWISTAFATE (6-3-2-0); 95; $303,505
Blaine Wright/Jose Ortiz
The speed, tactical ability and steady Beyers (94-94-95) make him a contender from the far outside post. In two previous Preaknesses, Ortiz was fourth on Good Magic in 2018 and 10th on Term of Art in ’17. Finished second to Owendale in the Lexington Stakes as the 7-5 favorite.
13. (15-1) WIN WIN WIN (7-3-2-1); 99; $367,300
Michael Trombetta/Julian Pimental
Ran second in the Blue Grass at Keeneland after setting the track record in the Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Maybe it was the off track, but showed nothing at Churchill where he was 10th in the Kentucky Derby at 17-1 odds. Maryland-based jockey knows the Pimlico course and was eighth aboard Kid Cruz in the 2014 Preakness.
Sources: Horseracingnation, Americasbestracing, Equibase, Paulick Report, Daily Racing Form, Sporting News
RECORDER PICKS
Chip Ainsworth: WARRIOR’S CHARGE
Jason Butynski: WARRIOR’S CHARGE
Jeff Lajoie: OWENDALE
John Dobrydnio: OWENDALE