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Part I - Part II
Mine That Bird’s shocking upset of the G1 Kentucky Derby has done little to keep them from coming to Pimlico as it looks like a bakers’ dozen will line up for the 134th running of the G1 Preakness, the second jewel of the Triple Crown.
In most years, fellow Derby winners usually take one off and await the G1 Belmont Stakes, run three weeks after the Preakness and some five weeks after the Derby. This year, six other Derby participants are scheduled to tackle the Derby victor once again and will be joined by a half dozen new shooters who will speak about in this space.
Being the gentleman that I am, what better place to start then with the fabulous filly Rachel Alexandra. The hit soap opera “Days of Our Lives” has nothing on the events that have taken place in the past week or so, on the Triple Crown trail and Rachel Alexandra has been at the center of it all.
Late last week, owner Jess Jackson of Curlin fame purchased the G1 Kentucky Oaks winner for a reported $10 million and promptly turned her training over to Steve Asmussen. Just as quickly, he announced that the Preakness and a shot at the boys was the likely next spot for his stables newest acquisition, a notion that wasn’t even open for discussion with her previous connections. Jackson supplemented the filly for $100,000. Multiple controversies ensued.
The first thing that came to most peoples minds was the Eight Belle’s tragedy of last years Derby but those thoughts were quickly dismissed when everyone realized that jockey Calvin Borel would now have to chose between Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird. Borel decided to stay with the star filly.
Then, over the weekend, a plan was hatched between one of Mine That Bird’s owners and Zayat Stable, owner of Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile, to each enter an additional horse in the Preakness to keep Rachel Alexandra out of the race as first preference is given to original Triple Crown nominees. Quick to join in was trainer D. Wayne Lukas who announced that he would enter Luv Gov, who broke his maiden in his tenth try on Derby Day, as well. It made for an interesting Mother’s Day in the horse racing world to say the least.
As the sun set on Sunday, however, everything settled down quite a bit. Zayat Stable pulled out of the plan immediately, as did Mine That Bird’s connections while Marylou Whitney, owner of Luv Gov (who’ll be ridden by Jamie Theriot), stated that she wouldn’t enter her horse if it meant keeping Rachel Alexandra out of the Preakness. Order was restored and Rachel Alexandra was in.
As for the filly, her resume speaks for itself. After winning just twice in her first five starts, all going one turn, Rachel Alexandra is a perfect five for five around two turns, including three G2s, the Golden Rod, the Fair Grounds Oaks and the Fantasy. She’ll look to become the first filly to win the Preakness since Nellie Morse did so in 1924. The last filly to start in the Preakness was Excellent Meeting in 1999. She was eased.
Big Drama will make his Triple Crown debut in the Preakness for trainer David Fawkes, perhaps the only trainer to ever successfully battle Derby Fever as he manages to turn back the temptation of taking a shot at the roses though his colt had plenty of credentials and earnings to do so.
After finishing third in his debut, Big Drama won five in a row to close out 2008, including three restricted Florida bred stakes and the G3 Delta Jackpot. Nagging injuries kept him out of action until late winter and instead of rushing the colt, Fawkes took a more conservative approach and used the G2 Swale on the Florida Derby undercard as Big Drama’s seasonal debut.
Sent immediately to the front in his first start in almost four months, Big Drama went wire to wire in course record time before being disqualified and placed second for bumping the second place finisher twice in the stretch. Still, the Swale proved to be a useful springboard and John Velazquez will ride for the first time on Saturday.
After taking three shots in the Derby, Take the Points will be the lone entrant from the Todd Pletcher stable in the Preakness. Another who could have run in the Derby, Pletcher decided to keep this colt on the bench as Join in the Dance, Dunkirk and Advice finished 7th, 11th and 13th respectively in the Run for the Roses.
Twice a winner from six starts, Take the Points finished second in the G3 Sham two back before a fourth place finish in the G1 Santa Anita Derby last out. Edgar Prado, who’s two for two aboard Take the Points, returns to the saddle for the Preakness.
Terrain is another new shooter whose Derby aspirations were squashed by a pair of sub-par performances to start his sophomore season. A third in the G2 Louisiana Derby and fourth in the G1 Blue Grass weren’t enough to convince trainer Al Stall to run Terrain in the Derby as he opted for this far more reasonable spot. Last season, Terrain won his first three starts and was second in the G1 Breeders’ Futurity. Jeremy Rose will ride.
Finally, Tone It Down will carry the local banner for trainer Bill Komlo. Third in the Federico Tesio over the Pimlico strip last out, Kent Desormeaux will replace Mario Pino in the saddle for the Preakness.
