Observe announcer Dave Rodman emceed with a masks masking his face, whereas stakes coordinator Coley Blind and racing secretary Jillian Tullock pulled the capsules to find out the publish positions.

Preakness race week started Monday with a draw that lacked the standard fanfare of homeowners and trainers packing right into a crowded tent with an open bar within the infield. Kentucky Derby winner Genuine was put in because the 9-5 morning line favourite and drew the No. 9 publish place for the race that may conclude the Triple Crown on this topsy-turvy 12 months.

There shall be no followers at Pimlico Race Course, although some issues had been nonetheless the identical on Monday, like Rodman opening the proceedings together with his regular optimism: ”It is going to be good on Saturday, temperatures within the mid-60s right here in Baltimore underneath sunny skies for Preakness 145!”

It is also a near-perfect day for Bob Baffert if the two-time Triple Crown-winning coach captures his record-breaking eighth Preakness, both with Genuine or Thousand Phrases, who drew the No. 5 publish and is 6-1 on the morning line. Baffert’s assistant coach, Jimmy Barnes, will miss his first Preakness in a long time after Thousand Phrases acted up within the Churchill Downs paddock on the Derby, leading to a damaged arm.

Baffert, together with his proper hand man Barnes by his aspect, is undefeated when taking the Derby winner to the Preakness.

Jockey John Velazquez expects to take Genuine out to the entrance once more and wonders if the tempo shall be slower with out Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Legislation, who was a runner-up to Genuine within the Derby. Tiz the Legislation is skipping the Preakness to organize for the Breeders’ Cup Basic Nov. 7.

”He is fairly fast,” Velazquez mentioned of Genuine. ”I simply have to modify him a bit bit. He’ll be on the lead it doesn’t matter what.”

Artwork Collector, who was scratched from the Derby, seems to be the most important menace to Genuine and is the 5-2 second selection on the morning line out of publish No. 3. Coach Tom Drury hopes Artwork Collector is on the lead the primary time going by the stands, which shall be noticeably empty.

”I am pleased with it,” mentioned Drury, who believed it was the proper factor to do to scratch Artwork Collector with a minor foot ailment. ”If this horse will get away good, he is tactical sufficient that he will be ahead and provides (jockey Brian Hernandez) a bit probability to see how the race is creating after which we are able to sort of take it from there.”

Filly Swiss Skydiver is subsequent at 6-1 out of the No. four publish. She’s seeking to be the sixth filly to win the Preakness and first since Rachel Alexandra in 2009.

Thousand Phrases was a late scratch simply earlier than the Derby after falling within the paddock, the incident that injured Barnes.

”The excellent news is the horse is completely advantageous,” on-call vet Dr. Kathy Anderson mentioned. ”He is returned to the steady space. Had an intensive examination by Dr. Kevin Dunlavy, his common practitioner, and has been cleared for service with not a scratch upon him. So we’re very happy with that final result.”

Coach Steve Asmussen is saddling three horses within the Preakness: No. 1 Excession (30-1), No. eight Max Participant (15-1) and No. 10 Pneumatic (20-1). Max Participant is the one horse to run in all three Triple Crown races.

They’re being run out of order due to the pandemic: the Belmont June 20, Kentucky Derby Sept. 5 and now the Preakness on Saturday.

”Bizarre 12 months the place every part is,” Asmussen mentioned. ”We’re a month after the Derby and a month earlier than the Breeders’ Cup. It has been very distinctive to say the least.”

The others within the 11-horse area are No. 2 Mr. Huge Information (12-1), No. 6 Jesus’ Workforce (30-1), No. 7. NY Site visitors (15-1) and No. 11 Liveyourbeastlife (30-1). Mr. Huge Information was third behind Genuine and Tiz the Legislation within the Derby.

”It was how he was doing on the time,” Mr. Huge Information coach Bret Calhoun mentioned. ”The horse was coaching phenomenally effectively coming into the Derby. The mile and 1 / 4 was a giant a part of it too and we actually felt like he would relish that distance.”

Not like the Belmont that shortened its regular marathon race given the order of the Basic races, the Preakness shall be run on the conventional mile and three/16, simply shorter than the Derby. There have been loads of questions on Genuine’s skill to win at that distance after his efficiency within the Santa Anita Derby and when he barely held on to win the Haskell in New Jersey in July.

”I by no means had thought stamina was an issue with him,” mentioned Baffert, who changed Haskell jockey Mike Smith with Velazquez and gained the Derby. ”There is no higher feeling than to win the Kentucky Derby.”

An in depth second may be successful the Preakness, which nobody has finished higher than Baffert.

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