BALTIMORE – Monarchos, winner of the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago and the favorite for today’s 126th running of the $1 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, is known by many names. Nick Zito, trainer of Preakness rival A P Valentine, calls him “Miarchos.” When he won the Florida Derby by the length of the stretch back in March, someone mispronounced him as “More Nachos.” Around the barn, he’s affectionately known as “Sparky.”
His trainer, John Ward, thinks he might be the second coming of the “Gray Ghost” – his great-great-great-great grandfather Native Dancer, who lost the Kentucky Derby by a nose in 1953 (his only defeat in 22 starts), then won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
The original Monarchos was a king in ancient Greece. If Monarchos wins the Preakness against 10 other 3-year-olds going a mile-and-three-sixteenths, then takes the Belmont three weeks away, he’ll also wear a crown – the Triple Crown – which no horse has captured since Affirmed in 1978.
A crowd of over 90,000 is expected for the Preakness, which will be televised by NBC from 5-6:30 p.m., with post time at 6:06. The forecast calls for the possibility of rain in the morning with partly cloudy skies in the afternoon and temperatures in the high 70’s.
In the bulky, 17-horse field for the Derby, Monarchos proved much the best, scoring by 43/4 lengths in near-record time of 1:59 4/5 over a souped-up track. Jockey Jorge “Chop Chop” Chavez gave him a picture-perfect ride, taking him well back off the fastest pace in Derby history, rallying up the rail down the backside, then swinging out for clear sailing on the turn for home.
The pace for the Preakness won’t be nearly as fast. Richly Blended, gate-to-wire winner of the mile Gotham and Withers, is as quick as they come and will be in front as far as he goes. But they’ve been trying to slow him down in the mornings (he breezed four furlongs Thursday in :49.4), and jockey Rick Wilson will try to do the same this afternoon.
Mr. John, Percy Hope and Congaree figure near to the pace, while Monarchos and A P Valentine both will be closer than usual.
“I’m not really going to give Jorge any instructions,” Ward said. “I’m just going to tell him how I think the race shapes up. The only thing I want him to do is, if he’s got to gamble [on slipping between horses] or take the long way, I’d rather he take the long way.
“If he gets beat because of that, so be it. But if he gets shut off, that’s tough. On the other hand, I don’t want to take the ambition away from Jorge to do what he has to do in the race. So I might not even make that statement to him.”
Just as he did before the Derby, Ward sees trainer Bob Baffert’s Congaree – third in the Derby, beaten a nose for second – as the one to beat. Congaree is the only horse to finish in front of Monarchos in five starts this year, when they ran 1-2 in the Wood Memorial. Monarchos won his other four races by at least 4½ lengths.
Congaree will have his blinkers removed for the Preakness and gets a new rider in Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey, who replaces Victor Espinoza. The latter picked up the mount on A P Valentine.
Also, just as he did before the Derby, Ward dismisses the chances of Baffert’s Point Given, who finished fifth as the 9-5 Derby favorite. Baffert thinks jockey Gary Stevens kept the “Big Red Train” too close to the hot pace that day, but also feels the hot weather, hard track and outside post 17 played a role in his inexplicably dull effort. Once again, Point Given breaks from the outside.
Point Given survived a near-disaster yesterday. Walking to the track for his morning gallop he took a misstep, coming down not on the bottom of his right front foot but on the front wall of his hoof, which turned beneath him so he came down on his ankle. If he’d been running and landed like that, the ankle would have snapped off.
After that Point Given reared straight up several times, like someone hopping around on one foot after stubbing his toe, and almost tossed his exercise rider – something he’s done several times this spring, including the morning of the Derby.
Baffert shrugged off the incident, saying, “It’s his way of telling us he’s feeling good, ready to roll.”
A P Valentine, who had a disastrous trip under Corey Nakatani in the Derby but still came on late for seventh, has upset potential.
“He has just trained so well here,” said Ward.
Also look for an improved effort from hard-luck Dollar Bill, who got slammed so hard on the far turn in the Derby he almost fell down, his third straight loss with an excuse.
“It was extremely rough,” said jockey Pat Day. “By the time we were in position to do a little running, we had no chance to catch up. I was afraid the horse would be banged up and hurt, but fortunately he seems all right physically, and apparently there is no mental problem.”
Percy Hope, who hasn’t raced since winning the Lone Star Derby in Texas six weeks ago, could hit the board at a big price. If he wins, he’d earn a $1 million bonus from Lone Star Park, offered to any horse who can win both their Derby and any Triple Crown race.
“I was stabled all winter at Gulfstream in the same barn with John Ward and Monarchos,” said his trainer, Tony Reinstedler. “So I know what we’re up against.”
