BALTIMORE – Unbeaten wonderhorse Barbaro, coming off a 6 1/2-length runaway in the Kentucky Derby, will begin his next step on the quest for Triple Crown immortality breaking from post 6 in a field of nine for Saturday’s 131st Preakness, at a mile-and-three-sixteenths at Pimlico.
The forecast calls for partly sunny skies with a high of 73. NBC will televise the Preakness from 5-6:30 p.m. EDT, with post time approximately 6:15.
In the smallest field for the $1 million Preakness since eight ran in 2000, when Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus finished second to Red Bullet at 3-10, Barbaro was installed the generous even-money favorite by Pimlico oddsmaker Frank Carulli, but he will surely go off at odds-on under jockey Edgar Prado.
Given the opportunity to select third in the convoluted selection process on last night’s post-draw show on ESPN, Barbaro’s trainer, Michael Matz, took his full allotment of 60 seconds to pick his post. At first, he chose the 4-hole, but that was already occupied by Greeley’s Legacy. If Matz went past the minute limit, by the rules he should have been bumped back to last.
Barbaro’s neighbors in the starting gate are the only two other horses running back in the Preakness from the 20 that ran in the Derby. Brother Derek, the Derby’s morning-line choice who finished in a dead-heat for fourth, breaks to Barbaro’s inside from post 5 with Alex Solis up. Sweetnorthernsaint, seventh as the 5-1 post-time favorite for the Derby, is in the 7-hole under Kent Desormeaux.
Unlike Barbaro, who never had a straw in his path in the Derby, both of his challengers had nightmare trips. Brother Derek, after breaking from post 18, was very wide all the way around, much farther back than he’d ever been before, and still finished with good courage. Sweetnorthernsaint, like Brother Derek a horse who does his best racing close to the pace, was shuffled back in traffic early, charged up the rail to loom boldly on the far turn, then tired down the lane.
Carulli made Brother Derek the second choice at 3-1, with Sweetnorthernsaint at 4-1. Both prices will be higher by post time.
Barbaro, seeking to become the first Triple Crown champion since Affirmed in 1978 and join Seattle Slew as the only horse to complete the sweep while undefeated, has recent history in his favor Saturday. The Derby winner also won the Preakness in six of the last nine years, only to fall short in the mile-and-a-half Belmont Stakes three weeks later.
If Barbaro loses, Brother Derek or Sweetnorthernsaint is the most likely winner: 21 of the past 22 Preaknesses were won by horses that ran in the Derby, win or lose.
Red Bullet was the only “new shooter” to win the Preakness after not running in the Derby since Deputed Testamony in 1983, but new shooters have run second in the Preakness each of the past four years.
This year’s new shooters are hoping that the Derby runners, especially Barbaro, will “bounce” (regress) with only two weeks to recover from the grueling mile and a quarter at Churchill Downs. Chief among them is the highly regarded Bernardini, coming off a 33/4-length score in the Withers at Aqueduct in just his third lifetime start.
Bernardini, who’s never run farther than a mile and will be making his first start around two turns, breezed five furlongs yesterday in 1:01.1 at Belmont Park.
“I caught him galloping out in 1:15.4,” trainer Tom Albertrani said. “We know it’s a big step up, but we did the same thing in the Withers. With the pedigree [by A.P. Indy], this horse is going to have no problem handling distance. [Barbaro] is the one we’ve got to beat, but hopefully he’s a little vulnerable after only two weeks of rest.”
Another new shooter, 30-1 shot Hemingway’s Key, is trained by Nick Zito for George “the Boss” Steinbrenner’s Kinsman Stable.
“If you don’t run, you can’t even lose,” Zito said, noting that his post, 3, was Babe Ruth’s number. “We believe sincerely he’s going to run well.”
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Preakness field
Horse Trainer Jockey Odds
1. Like Now Kiaran McLaughlin G. Gomez 12-1
2. Platinum Couple Joe Lostritto Jose Espinoza 50-1
3. Hemingway’s Key Nick Zito Jeremy Rose 30-1
4. Greeley’s Legacy George Weaver Richard Migliore 20-1
5. Brother Derek Dan Hendricks Alex Solis 3-1
6. Barbaro Michael Matz Edgar Prado Even
7. Sweetnorthernsaint M. Trombetta K. Desormeaux 4-1
8. Bernardini Tom Albertrani J. Castellano 8-1
9. Diabolical S. Klesaris R. Dominguez 30-1
Race day forecast
73; Partly sunny, 20% chance of rain
