The Preakness Stakes

[Bullet Plane]

Well,

The track seemed to be favoring speed which is not unusual for Pimlico.

Only one dirt race from off the pace, by a short priced favorite.

And the race itself had a slow pace.

And Epicenter, who should have been sitting right off the pace, was way back near last.

Bad ride, bad luck, team tactics by other jockeys to some extent.

Maybe a little of all the above.

He did make a nice close into that soft pace.

[Fightingirish51195]

Stanley comes through again. On to the Belmont

[PalaceOfFortLarned]

Originally Posted by PalaceOfFortLarned

The Mig just interviewed Chad Brown on America's Day at the Races.

He is pretty excited about Early Voting in the Preakness. Said he is a big colt that they had to really work to get him fit and feels he is now ready.

Been an Early Voting fan, very little doubt.

Hit an early W, EX, Tri; and then bled the next 9 races yesterday. Confidence was obviously low, but I remembered this assured confidence from Chad Brown that EV was ready.

Without this very quote and viewing of his confidence, I probably fade EV after my horrific capping from R4-R12.

Sometimes it pays to catch an interview from a trainer like Chad Brown a week earlier.

[Aerocraft67]

Didn't expect Rosario to get shuffled back. Maybe that helped slow the pace. My best assessment was that they might run a bit hotter with longshots trying to steal it, but more likely those shots just wouldn't be fast enough to use up the other frontrunners. Odds on were ample to cover the small risk of a hot pace, so that's where I went.

I actually lost 27 cents on $66.10 of exotics. When held up at 5-1, I put $11 on him to win, and threw in a few extra exactas with on top, including two on the winning pair.

That turned the $85 investment into an even money proposition. I had a good bit of upside, so I'll take it.

I even played the super for a whopping 20 cents. I'm gratified to hit it. But it was just too chalky to pay much. That wound up 1-2. The trifectas 1-1, and the exactas 2-1.

Hard to understand the final odds. The actually went off third choice, and the second choice was 5-1, up a bit from her ML. Only one higher than 14-1. They bet Happy Jack again. And Fenwick?

Glad I didn't toss the Creative Minister. It turned out to be the "surprise," rather than . Both way more likely than and .

The Simplification was a disappointment.