There won’t be a Triple Crown winner in 2019, as an already weird and wacky month in horse racing just gets weirder.
The Preakness Stakes is set to go off at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore at 6:48 p.m. ET on Saturday without the Kentucky Derby winner.
It’s the first time since 1996, when Grindstone was retired due to injury, that the Preakness won’t feature the winner from the first leg of the Triple Crown.
It doesn’t matter whether you believe the true Kentucky Derby winner is Maximum Security, who was disqualified from first place for interference, or Country House, the runner-up who was elevated to winner. They’re both skipping the Preakness.
Country House is out of the race because of an illness, and Maximum Security’s connections said they won’t run the colt again with just a two-week break without a Triple Crown on the line.
But even without Country House or Maximum Security in the race, there are still several intriguing subplots in the Preakness.
Here are five storylines to watch for the middle leg of the Triple Crown.
Derby fallout
The Kentucky Derby finish might hang over this particular Triple Crown series for years to come.
The Derby sent spectators and bettors into a frenzy when Maximum Security became the first horse in the 145-year history of the event to be disqualified for a race-riding incident after finishing first.
But things didn't end there, as the owners of Maximum Security have filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn his disqualification after an unsuccessful appeal to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.
Maximum Security's jockey, Luis Saez, was also suspended 15 racing days for his ride in the Kentucky Derby, which he has appealed.
The only historical precedent for a disqualification in the Kentucky Derby is the case of Dancer's Image, who was disqualified days after the 1968 race following a positive drug trust for a then-banned substance. His owners also filed a lawsuit and initially won, but it was overturned upon appeal in 1972 after years of legal battles.
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Here is the order of finish for the 2019 Kentucky Derby, followed by (brief) expert comments on each horse's trip.
Footnotes
MAXIMUM SECURITY came away in good order to take a short lead through the stretch the first time, edged away up the backstretch slightly off the rail, veered out sharply forcing WAR OF WILL out into LONG RANGE TODDY and BODEXPRESS nearing the five-sixteenths pole, responded when challenged from both flanks by CODE OF HONOR and COUNTRY HOUSE, and edged away from the latter through the final stages.
COUNTRY HOUSE settled in the middle of the field three wide off the first turn, advanced four wide into the far turn, was brushed by LONG RANGE TODDY while largely unaffected by the incident five-sixteenths out, loomed boldly outside MAXIMUM SECURITY coming to the eighth-pole, was repelled by that one and held the place.
CODE OF HONOR moved closer to the first flight saving ground after a half-mile, was presented with a large opening slipping through to take a short lead after a mile, but flattened out through upper stretch.
TACITUS steadied while unsettled behind horses first time through the stretch, found a better rhythm through the middle stages, came five wide off the far turn, exchanged brushes with GAME WINNER late and finished with good courage.
IMPROBABLE went along in striking range covered up in the two-path, idled through the far turn in traffic losing some position, shifted out in the drive and offered a mild response.
GAME WINNER was well in arrears widest arriving midway up the backstretch, bumped solidly with BY MY STANDARDS near the half-mile pole, continued extremely wide around the far turn and into the stretch, exchanged brushes with TACITUS late and did not have enough.
MASTER FENCER (JPN) veered out to get away behind his field, was crowded from heavy outside pressure at the start, went along striding a bit awkwardly far back early inside, moved out up the backstretch, began taking better hold of the track in the two-path into the stretch, moved back inside and finished willingly.
WAR OF WILL [#1, also w/pink jockey silks] found a good spot saving ground off the leaders under a firm hold, continued along reserved waiting for room into the far turn, shifted outside MAXIMUM SECURITY leaving the three-eighths pole, was forced out by that rival into LONG RANGE TODDY, checked hard off heels, remained prominent in the three-path to upper stretch and weakened.
PLUS QUE PARFAIT was unhurried early two wide, moved through along the rail improving position after the first mile, moved back out to the two-path and could not sustain the bid.
WIN WIN WIN raced four wide early, moved inward after that and failed to menace.
CUTTING HUMOR entered the backstretch five wide and well back, made a run into the far turn getting fanned six wide in the process, and gave way through the stretch.
BY MY STANDARDS was squeezed back at the start to get away slowly, raced three wide around the first turn, moved out wider bumping with GAME WINNER near the half-mile marker, and lacked a serious response.
VEKOMA stayed close four wide through the opening half-mile, and began to
fade steadily after six furlongs.
BODEXPRESS angled inward after breaking alertly, was forwardly placed three wide for six furlongs, was forced to take up sharply between LONG RANGE TODDY and COUNTRY HOUSE near the five-sixteenths, and dropped back.
TAX saved ground throughout and was no factor.
ROADSTER was six or seven wide off the first turn, continued along extremely wide the rest of the way and was never in contention.
LONG RANGE TODDY angled inward after an alert beginning, attended the pace outside MAXIMUM SECURITY, was bumped and forced out into BODEXPRESS while checking sharply approaching the five-sixteenths, and retreated.
SPINOFF raced five wide early, moved further out around the far turn and was empty by the quarter-pole.
GRAY MAGICIAN gained mildly two wide after six furlongs, but was finished by the quarter-pole.
The jockeys of LONG RANGE TODDY and COUNTRY HOUSE lodged an objection against MAXIMUM SECURITY for interference nearing the five-sixteenths marker.
Following the Stewards review MAXIMUM SECURITY was disqualified from first and placed seventeenth for veering out and stacking up WAR OF WILL, LONG RANGE TODDY,and BODEXPRESS.
Due to the scratches of OMAHA BEACH and HAIKAL, the inside stall of the starting gate was left vacant.
Source:
http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/CD050419USA12.pdf