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Be part of the action as we cover the Triple Crown starting with the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. See the best of the best horses battle it out in the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.
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Hey Byrn comes into the 1 3/16 mile Preakness Stakes off a victory in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Hey Byrn did not have enough graded stakes earnings to make the Kentucky Derby field.
In the Kentucky Derby, Big Brown ran away from 19 rivals. A Preakness win would set up a Triple Crown attempt at the 2008 Belmont Stakes on June 7. It’s been 30 years since Affirmed became the 11th and last Triple Crown champion. Since then, there have been 10 horses to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown and fail in the Belmont, including six in the past 11 years.
Big Brown, ridden by three-time Kentucky Derby winner Kent Desormeaux, is expected to be the heavy favorite in the Preakness that comes two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. The short turnaround has given others hope.
“Let’s not get Big Brown in the Hall of Fame too soon here,” Kentucky Bear trainer Reade Baker said. “He certainly was the best of those horses (in the Derby). What I’d be more concerned with, where Big Brown is vulnerable, if we were handicapping any other race, the handicapper would say there’s a horse that carried 126 and he’s going to run back in two weeks off a peak effort. The wise guys would say he’s going to bounce. How come he can’t bounce now?”
Even if Big Brown is by far the best, there’s a decent payoff for running second or third in the $1 million Preakness Stakes. The winner’s share is $600,000, with $200,000 for second and $100,000 for third.
“If Big Brown runs back to the Derby or his race in Florida, I don’t think anyone can beat him,” said Aaron Cohen, racing manager for Icabad Crane owner Earle I. Mack. “But based on the other horses running, I think we have a chance; and second or third place money in the Preakness isn’t bad.”
Behindatthebar and Harlem Rocker, both trained by Todd Pletcher, are coming off victories. Behindatthebar won the Lexington Stakes, while Harlem Rocker is 3-0 after winning the Withers at Aqueduct on April 26.
Plans call for Big Brown to be shipped to Pimlico on Wednesday, the day of the post position draw. After the Preakness, Big Brown is scheduled to ship to Belmont Park, home of the Belmont Stakes.
At Churchill Downs, Racecar Rhapsody is scheduled for a five-furlong workout Saturday; Stevil galloped 1 1/2 miles two days prior to his final Preakness tuneup Monday; Recapturetheglory is set to be vanned to Baltimore on Saturday night, and Tres Borrachos will have a final workout Tuesday before being shipped out the next day.
The post position draw for the Preakness Stakes is Wednesday, May 14 at 5 pm. at the ESPN Zone in downtown Baltimore. The event will be televised live on ESPN. The 133rd running of the Preakness is on May 17. Preakness post time is 6:15 pm.
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