Though still in shock by the 50-1 upset pulled off by Mine That Bird in last Saturday’s G1 Kentucky Derby, we can’t spend too much time worried about the past as we’re just about a week away from the 134th running of the G1 Preakness at Pimlico, the second jewel in racings Triple Crown.
Unlike in some years where the Derby winner looks tough as nails in the Preakness, it’s a lot different this time around. As of now, it looks like we’ll have close to the maximum 14 starters allowed if not a full field, half of which will likely be comprised of horses that ran in the Derby. We have to start with the winner.
One week later, and I’m still at a loss for words. How did a horse that had never won on dirt, prepping (and losing) at Sunland Park in New Mexico for trainer Chip Woolley, who won just one race this year, wins the greatest horse race in the whole world by daylight?
You can say he loved a wet track, which was probably true. His sire, Birdstone won the Belmont and Travers on off tracks. It also didn’t hurt the Dunkirk was off terrible and Friesan Fire was shut off on the first turn and was wide as could be throughout. The only one of the choices that had a clean trip was Pioneerof the Nile, and he was even a bit out of his element by racing in third, not too far from the early pace throughout.
But I’m going to give the bulk of the credit to jockey Calvin Borel, and not just for his rail skimming, death defying late rail run. With a half mile to run and the six furlong time posted in an honest 1:12, Mine That Bird was last, 14 lengths behind the leader. With ¼ mile to go with the mile time posted in 1:37 2/5, he was twelfth, 7 lengths off the lead.
Both of those times were a bit on the fast side in my opinion, as the track became more and more tiring as the day wore on. If my calculations are correct, Mine That Bird came home the last ½ mile in an astounding :47 4/5, including a :23 4/5 final quarter. Essentially, Borel turned the 1 ¼ mile Derby into a half mile sprint for his horse.
Now, he needs to do it again. He won’t have the benefit of that long Churchill stretch and who knows what the weather will be, but stranger things have happened and it does lay the foundation for what should be an intriguing renewal of the Preakness.
Second place Derby finisher Pioneerof the Nile ran a remarkable race in his own right. A bit closer to the pace than most expected. Pioneerof the Nile made what appeared to be a winning move on the turn and got himself into a pretty good dogfight through the stretch, where he narrowly and bravely held onto the place in a three horse photo under Garrett Gomez for trainer Bob Baffert, who had his fourth Derby win pulled right out from under him.
The other two horses in that photo, Musket Man and Papa Clem will be back in the Preakness. Jockey Eibar Coa will stay aboard Musket Man for trainer Derek Ryan, choosing this colt over Big Drama, winner of the G2 Swale via DQ at Gulfstream in his most recent for trainer David Fawkes. Tenth place finisher General Quarters will give it another go. Trainer Tom McCarthy said his colt came back full of mud in his eyes and nostrils which obviously compromised his chances in Louisville. Friesan Fire will hope for a much better trip than he received in the Derby as he beat just one horse, Flying Private, who’s also coming back for more in the Preakness.
Like Big Drama, several other new shooters are toying with the idea of joining the Triple Crown trail in the Preakness. The undefeated Hull, winner of the G3 Derby Trial is in, along with G2 Lexington runner-up Conservative. Longshots Tale the Points, fourth in the G1 Santa Anita Derby, fourth place G1 Blue Grass finisher Terrain and Tone it Down, third in the Tesio at Pimlico last out are all under consideration as well.
But perhaps the most intriguing possibility is the presence of the G1 Kentucky Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra. Purchased this past week for a reported $10 million dollars by Jess Jackson, owner of the sports all time leading money winner Curlin, the option of taking on the boys that her former connections said wouldn’t happen appears to be more and more likely as the days roll on.
In her Oaks victory, Rachel Alexandra was sublime, winning by 20 ¼ lengths prompting many to ponder what would have happened if she took on the boys in the Derby the following day instead. She’s been turned over to trainer Steve Asmussen, who may need a new rider as she’s been piloted by none other than Calvin Borel, who actually could be the one forced to make the toughest decision of his career should she try the Preakness.
