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Racing to the Triple Crown

By Randy Brungard

For The Express

Justify is now 4-for-4 and heading to Baltimore! The Preakness Stakes is next in line with the second leg of the Triple Crown land mine!

NBC will have television coverage starting at 5 p.m., with the Preakness slated for a 6:48 p.m. start. Aging Pimlico race track, located in the northwestern part of Baltimore, will once again host the 143rd running of the Preakness Stakes.

It first opened on October 25, 1870, and is the second-oldest track in the USA.

There’s been plenty of speculation over the past several years concerning whether this facility, which holds so much historic significance, will continue to be the host site.

Over 140,000 fans attended last year’s Preakness. Time and money will tell how much longer Pimlico remains the host site of this race, which steeped in history. A complete revitalization of the area is currently being discussed.

Justify will try to become the 13th Triple Crown winner, and only the second since 1978, when “Affirmed” out-dueled “Alydar” in all three races.

American Pharoah was the most recent winner of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes, having swept the Triple Crown in 2015. That marked the first time in 37 years for a Triple Crown triumph. Six other horses have won both the Derby and Preakness in the 21st Century alone, but then failed to win the Belmont.

The Triple Crown is run at three different race tracks, located in three different states, and run at three different distances in a span of five weeks. Most trainers prefer their top-level horses to have at least 3-4 weeks in between races, which is one of the reasons why winning the Triple Crown is so difficult.

Although there were 20 horses that ran in the Derby, only eight will enter the Preakness starting gate. Of those eight entries, only four ran in the Derby. Three of the other four new horses have had more time off since they last raced than the two-week turn around between the Derby and the Preakness.

Several others that raced in the Derby will wait until June 9 before they run again in the Belmont. If this year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Justify, wants to add his name to that exclusive Triple Crown list, he will first have to win the Preakness on Saturday evening.

Good Magic, who finished a very respectable second in this year’s Derby, will try to improve on that in the Preakness. He will be joined by sixth place Derby finisher, Bravazo, and Lone Sailor, who finished 8th.

Quip, who was last seen finishing second in the Tampa Bay Derby on April 14, opted not to run in this year’s Kentucky Derby, even though he had earned enough points to qualify for the “Run for the Roses.” His human connections wanted more time in between races, and, therefore, pointed him for the Preakness.

“Sporting Chance,” who was impressive when winning the G1 Hopeful Stakes in 2017, has finished no better than 3rd in his four starts in 2018. He will have to significantly improve from his 4th-place effort in his most recent start.

“Diamond King,” who recently won the non-graded Federico Tesio Stakes on April 21, is an interesting long shot. He has won 4-of-6 lifetime, is based at Parx race track near Philadelphia, which is known for a deep and often tiring surface upon which to train. That could prove helpful when Diamond King takes a serious step up in class in the G1 Preakness Stakes, as his best finish in a Graded Stakes (the highest level of racing, with G1 being the highest), was 3rd in a Grade 3.

“Tenfold” has won twice in his three career starts, but finished 5th in his only Graded Stakes effort last time out. He will have to improve significantly if he wants to beat the likes of Justify or “Good Magic.” Only Justify at odds of 1-2, and Good Magic at 3-1, are shorter than double-digit morning line odds to win.

The Preakness is run at a distance of 1 3/16 miles, which is 110 yards shorter than the Derby, and 3/16ths shorter than the 1 1/2 mile Belmont.

Pimlico’s stretch run is 1152 feet long, which is 82 feet shorter than Churchill Downs, where the Kentucky Derby is run. Although it is often stated that Pimlico’s turns are tighter than Churchill’s, that is merely an optical illusion due to the 80-foot width of Churchill’s track, compared to Pimlico’s 70- feet in width. Both tracks are a mile in circumference.

Depending on the track surface, the final time should be between around one minute and 56 seconds. If the sun comes out and dries the track it could be faster, and vice versa if it rains. Look for either “Quip,” breaking from the rail out of post position No. 1, or Justify, who once again gets to break from post No. 7 like he did in the Derby, to set the early pace.

Good Magic will likely take up a stalking position along with several others.

Although a good break from the starting gate is always important, it is not nearly as important in an 8-horse field as it is in the 20-horse Derby.

“And Down The Stretch They Come!”

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