Wealthy Strike, the 80-1 shot ridden by Sonny Leon and skilled by Eric Reed, mounted a livid and inconceivable rally to seize the 148th Kentucky Derby on Could 7. He was not even within the area till one other horse was scratched the day earlier than the race.
However after initially pointing the colt towards the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, Wealthy Strike’s proprietor mentioned final week the horse would skip the Preakness and run within the Belmont Stakes on June 11 as an alternative. There received’t be a Triple Crown on the road, however there’s positive to be loads of drama, with the filly Secret Oath, winner of the Kentucky Oaks, taking up the boys, together with the Derby runner-up, Epicenter.
Beneath, the Preakness horses are listed so as of submit place, with feedback by Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert of The New York Instances. The morning-line odds had been set by Keith Feustle of Pimlico Race Course.
Tips on how to watch: Protection on Saturday begins on CNBC at 2 p.m. Jap time and strikes to NBC at 4 p.m. Protection will even be streamed on NBCSports.com.
Purse: $1.5 million assured
Distance: 1 3/16 miles
Monitor document: 1 minute 52⅖ seconds (Farma Approach, 1991)
Weight: 126 kilos
Publish time: 7:01 p.m. Jap
Our Picks
Joe Drape’s win-place-show picks: Secret Oath, Epicenter, Early Voting
Melissa Hoppert’s picks: Early Voting, Epicenter, Secret Oath
Right here’s how we see the sphere:
1. Simplification
Coach: Antonio Sano Jockey: John Velazquez Odds: 6-1
Drape: This colt was working on the finish of the Derby and completed fourth, however it’s unlikely that he’ll get the quick tempo that units up his late kick.
Hoppert: He has hit the board in six of eight races and appears to be thriving at Pimlico. However Jose Ortiz, who was aboard him for his final three begins, thinks he has a greater shot with Early Voting and selected to journey him as an alternative.
2. Inventive Minister
Coach: Kenny McPeek Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr. Odds: 10-1
Drape: This late bloomer has proven enchancment in every of his three begins, two of which had been wins. One other transfer ahead places him within the hunt.
Hoppert: His first race was in March, and this will likely be his stakes debut. However his house owners imagine in him sufficient to have paid a $150,000 supplemental price to make him eligible for the final two Triple Crown races. Would possibly as nicely take a take likelihood, too, and throw him in your exotics.
3. Fenwick
Coach: Kevin McKathan Jockey: Florent Geroux Odds: 50-1
Drape: His solely victory in six begins got here when he broke keenly and led each step of the best way. He’s most certainly the pacesetter.
Hoppert: The Eleventh-place Blue Grass finisher is a son of the 2007 Preakness winner Curlin. However that’s about all he has going for him.
4. Secret Oath
Coach: D. Wayne Lukas Jockey: Luis Saez Odds: 9-2
Drape: This filly has proven she belongs with the boys, ending third to them within the Arkansas Derby regardless of a horrible journey. The decide.
Hoppert: No Wealthy Strike? No downside. The Kentucky Oaks winner has a strong shot at changing into the seventh filly to win the Preakness, which might give Lukas a record-tying seven Preakness victories.
5. Early Voting
Coach: Chad Brown Jockey: Jose Ortiz Odds: 7-2
Drape: He’s frivolously raced and fast of foot. This colt is just not not possible.
Hoppert: The second-place finisher within the Wooden Memorial bypassed the Derby to level towards the Preakness. Brown and the colt’s proprietor, Seth Klarman, used this playbook earlier than with the 2017 Preakness victor Cloud Computing.
6. Comfortable Jack
Coach: Doug O’Neill Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione Odds: 30-1
Drape: He was a handful to load into the Derby gate and precipitated mayhem early within the race. This one wants to relax.
Hoppert: The 14th-place Derby finisher is a son of Oxbow, who received this race in 2013. That, plus the addition of blinkers, is just not sufficient to assist him right here.
7. Armagnac
Coach: Tim Yakteen Jockey: Irad Ortiz Odds: 12-1
Drape: Thus far, he has merely confirmed to be an also-ran towards high-caliber horses.
Hoppert: Whereas he picks up Ortiz, he has missed the board in his two graded stakes races and is unquestionably a reduce beneath others who had been beforehand skilled by the embattled Bob Baffert, akin to Taiba and Messier.
8. Epicenter
Coach: Steve Asmussen Jockey: Joel Rosario Odds: 6-5
Drape: This one was going to be the post-time favourite even when Wealthy Strike got here. A constant type that ran massive within the Derby.
Hoppert: He got here oh-so-close within the Derby, combating on to complete second after a blazing-fast tempo within the first half wore out the remainder of the highest contenders. He’ll be within the combine once more late, however how a lot did the Derby take out of him?
9. Skippylongstocking
Coach: Saffie Joseph Jr. Jockey: Junior Alvarado Odds: 20-1
Drape: He has labored nicely since ending third within the Wooden Memorial. He might hit the board.
Hoppert: He’s a son of the 2016 Preakness winner Exaggerator and essentially the most skilled within the area, having run 9 races. However he has received solely two.