Preakness Stakes Draw
Monday was highlighted in the racing world by the Preakness Stakes draw. We are going to have nine horses head to the post this Saturday at Pimlico for the Second Jewel of the Triple Crown.
A race that lost some wind in its sails when Sovereignty opted out for the Belmont got a much needed tailwind last week when the top two betting choices from the Kentucky Derby, Sandman and Journalism, entered the field. Two weeks ago, we highlighted the Derby draw and the winners and losers in the race. With nine horses, the draw is not as important as the 20-horse Kentucky Derby, but it still is an important part to any race.
The Preakness Stakes Pace
Whenever I’m analyzing a draw, the first thing I want to know is where the speed is. In the Preakness, there are two likely horses that go to the front, #1 Goal Oriented and #8 Clever Again. #3 American Promise, #6 River Thames and #9 Gosger all possess speed, but I would be surprised if any of them outpace the other two.
Breaking from the rail, Goal Oriented has no choice but to go directly to the front and that’s the style trainer Bob Baffert would prefer, which means it is up to Clever Again to decide how fast they are going to go early. Clever Again has always blasted off out of the gate, so it’s hard to believe that he’ll try to rate for the first time. That pretty much ensures we are going to see an honest pace.
Who Lost The Preakness Stakes Draw?
It’s obvious that Gosger is the loser of the draw. You have two clear speed horses and three others who like to be forward. Unfortunately for Gosger, he is the widest of the bunch and thus going to have a tough time saving any ground going into the first turn. He did win the Lexington with a similar trip, but he was able to get to the rail from the five post and was facing worse horses that day.
I do not love the draw for Clever Again either. Inside speed is always the most dangerous type of speed since they have got to go and can control the rail on the first turn. For Clever Again to get to the rail, he would need Goal Oriented to have an issue out of the gate or break with his hair on fire, which would hurt his chances later in the race.
Who Won The Preakness Stakes Draw?
Welp, for the second time, it’s Journalism. Drawing the #2 post with speed to his inside ensures he gets a stalking trip on the rail. He has the ability to handle a fast or slow pace and still win. Simply put, he is a deserving favorite and will be tough to beat to the wire.
Sandman is also happy to see the pace that has drawn into the field. His post position was irrelevant since he’s going to be at the back, but his race would have been over if there was not enough speed signed on.
Keep an eye out for articles on Friday and Saturday covering both the Black-Eyed Susan and Preakness Stakes cards on our horse racing page!
