2009 Preakness Stakes Preview
by Patricia Woo | May 4 2009
The dust has barely settled at Churchill Downs after the 135th running of the
Kentucky Derby but horse racing fans are already looking forward to the second leg of the Triple Crown series, the Preakness Stakes. Limited to a field of 14, the Preakness Stakes will be run in Baltimore, Md., at
Pimlico Race Course on May 16 and is the shortest of the series at 1 3/16 miles. 2009 Kentucky Derby champion Mine That Bird may start, as well as Mr. Fantasy and This Ones For Phil.
Fresh off a stunning 50-1 longshot victory in the 2009 Kentucky Derby, Mine That Bird could be on track to Triple Crown glory. Trained by Bennie Woolley, the 3-year-old gelding was a late entry to the Derby, qualifying only upon the defection of several horses with more graded stakes earnings. But the son of Birdstone benefited from a perfect ride from jockey Calvin Borel, who had won the Kentucky Oaks a day earlier on the same track aboard favorite Rachel Alexandra, and their margin of victory - 6 ¾ lengths - was the largest in Kentucky Derby history since 1946. Mine That Bird surely benefited from the same-day scratch of favorite I Want Revenge and the injury to frontrunner Friesan Fire right out of the gate, and will be in tough against fresh Preakness Stakes contenders should his connections decide to race him.
One of those fresh Preakness Stakes contenders under consideration is Mr. Fantasy, winner of the Gr. 3 Withers Stakes on April 25 at Aqueduct in only his fourth start. Originally pointed toward the Kentucky Derby, the son of El Dubai was taken off the Derby trail after a disappointing third-place finish in the Gotham Stakes in March; he regrouped in the 1-mile Withers Stakes and showed his affinity for shorter distances. Also possible for the Kiaran McLaughlin trainee is the Gr. 1 Met Mile on May 25 at Belmont Park. He has a career record of 4-3-0-1 and earnings of $166,000.
Florida-bred This Ones For Phil kicked off his 3-year-old campaign with an incredible upset victory on Jan. 24 in the Sunshine Millions Dash, a win that thrust this Rick Dutrow Jr. trainee into the Kentucky Derby spotlight. But after a poor fifth-place performance in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, This Ones For Phil, like Mr. Fantasy, was pulled off the Derby trail. But he appears to be bouncing back, scoring a win by DQ in the Swale Stakes on March 28 and a runner-up finish in the Withers Stakes behind Mr. Fantasy. This Ones For Phil is a speedy competitor and should be a factor in the
Preakness Stakes; he is 4-2-1-0 in 2009 and has earnings of $265,000.
Also possible for the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans is Delta Downs Jackpot winner Big Drama, who was sidelined by injury during the run-up to the Kentucky Derby, and the Nick Zito-trained Just a Coincidence, who most recently ran fourth in the Withers Stakes.
Do you have your Preakness Stakes pick yet?
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