Posted on 05/14/2004 10:12:40 AM PDT by Types_with_Fist
I checked but didn't see another thread on this. And, no. It's not "too soon." Us horse racing fans are... well... fanatical.
I'm excited, as it looks like my Kentucky Derby pick (the winnah), Smarty Jones, is headed in with a good chance.
Here is the main link to the Maryland Jockey Club. Lots of good info can be found there.
They also have a special Preakness Page. That's where you can find an archive of the daily stories, on the horses, up through today.
Here's today's news:
BALTIMORE, 5-14-04 --- SIR SHACKLETON/THE CLIFF’S EDGE – Trainer Nick Zito made it official Friday morning when he announced that The Cliff’s Edge would be scratched from the Preakness... More.
SMARTY JONES – The undefeated son of Elusive Quality returned from Pimlico’s track Friday morning at 7:07, (the horse’s lucky number) and trainer John Servis was all smiles.
“He went to the starting gate and acted very professionally,” Servis said. “During his morning gallop his pony bounced into him a couple of times which stirred him up a little, but that’s all right. He will be ready for a good fight tomorrow.”
With the defection of The Cliff’s Edge, the Kentucky Derby winner will break from Post 6 as the 8-5 morning line favorite.
“I can’t see any excuses for him,” Servis said. “I am really happy with how he’s entering the race.
“The most important thing now is that he’s a happy horse. For anyone to beat him they will really have to run. While I haven’t let him do that much the last two weeks, I have seen enough to know he’s ready to roll.
“He has run hard all year long. And I expect the same tomorrow because he has shown me the one thing only great horses have, and that’s heart. Ever since the Southwest Stakes (at Oaklawn Park Feb. 28), he has shown me a whole lot of heart.”
The chestnut colt, owned by Patricia and Roy Chapman, is only the second Pennsylvania-bred to win the Kentucky Derby (Lil E. Tee won in 1992) and will be attempting to become the sixth Keystone State representative to capture the Preakness.
Jockey Stewart Elliott has been aboard for all seven victories and will once again be aboard Smarty Jones.
Come one, come all! Handicappers, prognosticators, children of all ages!...
FYI...a fascinating factoid...63% of all the $2 tickets purchased on Secretariat to WIN the Belmont were never cashed..
I found Kerrison's column. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place, but I didn't see the section you referred to.
Not a "section" per say, but in Sports, there's lot's of coverage of the Preakness...BTW, what did you think of Kerrison's column?..
Kerrison tried to have it both ways a bit, I think. Sounds to me like he's having a hard time going against Smarty. The Preakness is shorter. Smarty's also a great stretch runner. But, you never know. I'm sticking firmly with Smarty. The Belmont... well, it wouldn't be the Triple Crown if I didn't get my heart broken at Belmont. We'll see.
FYI..I was at the match race between Secretariat and Riva Ridge. To this day, I never never "heard" a silence like that..70,000 + dumbstruck....
Oh! Cool! I would have killed to be able to be at the track myself and see Big Red run. No horse ever better--ever greater. He had a way of silencing any critics, huh? That Belmont. Wow!
The race shapes up like the Derby. Lion Heart will be in front, probably Mr. Shackleton pressing him, and Smarty Jones stalking in third or fourth.Smarty Jones has tactical speed, and the jock can place him anywhere he wants him.(note the race where he went 43 and change the first quarter and still drew off to win by double digets)I hope Smarty wins, it will give a shot in the arm to horse racing, and make the Belmont very exciting. I will box Smarty, Lion heart, Imperialism, and Rock hard ten in the tri. Imperialism will be rolling in the stretch and may win it all.(Desormoux thinks he had the best horse in the Derby, and he may have well had)Stevens has a fresh horse in Rock Hard Ten and is facing the acid test.
Actually, in the match race, RR was the strong sentimental fav....
Good post & great screen name! Watching the triple-crown races is a family tradition at our house. May all your picks be winners!
I'm dedicated to the hope that I'll see another Triple Crown winner before I die. I got spoiled in the '70s...:-)
another fascinating factoid.... after Secretariat died, they found that his heart was 2 1/2 times the size of that of a "normal" horse.
My money is on Imperialism.
I am not going to jump on the "Smarty Jones" bandwagon, I did win a little on him in the Derby and I do hope he wins tomorrow. I really liked "Tapit" this year, don't know what happened to him in the Derby.
Well, that racing. I like Smarty for the Preakness. The Belmont?... I'm not sure at all on that one.
I still have my $2 ticket for Funny Cide to win belmont. I would have saved that if the horse won the triple Crown.
1) Rock Hard Ten
2) Smarty Jones
3) Lion Hart
Thanks for posting the great links Types with a Fist. I hope Smarty wins. I'm just betting an exacta box- Smarty, Imperialism and Borrego. Hope we have a Triple Crown Bid.
TV coverage starts tomorrow at 6am (Pacific) ESPN 2- Breakfast at Pimlico (repeats hourly til 9am)
Coverage continues on ESPN 2 until 11 am then switches to ESPN til 2pm (Pacific)
(Fox News - Rick Leventhal had some good reports from the Derby leading up to the race- so I imagine they'll be having something on the Preakness too.)
2pm (Pacific) NBC-The Preakness Stakes
Darn, my only problem is I have to work tomorrow, but , hopefully I'll be able to catch the race.
Good Luck to everyone.
This is my favorite time of year! The Triple Crown races are thrilling. I'm really rooting for Smarty Jones. I won the trifecta two weeks ago, and I am going to stick with those three horses now:
1. Smarty Jones
2. Imperialism
3. Lion Heart
Longshot: Eddington
I'm going to box all four of them in a trifecta and see if lightning will strike twice.
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