The field is set for Preakness 146! Read on to learn about the contenders!
#1 Ram (American Pharoah – Miner’s Secret by Mineshaft)
Odds: 30-1
Record: 9: 2-1-0
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Ricardo Santana, Jr.
Owners: Christina Baker and William L. Mack
The son of American Pharoah gives his Triple Crown winning sire his first Triple Crown race starter, as well as the first for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas since 2018. Slow to figure things out, Ram only posted one second place effort in his first seven starts before seemingly figuring things out in his past two. Dropping down to maiden claiming ranks at Oaklawn Park, Ram won by an easy two lengths. He returned fifteen days later to face older horses in the allowance ranks on the Kentucky Derby undercard where he romped over his elders by 3 1/2 lengths.
#2 Keepmeinmind (Laoban – Inclination by Victory Gallop)
Odds: 15-1
Record: 7: 1-2-1
Trainer: Robertino Diodoro
Jockey: David Cohen
Owners: Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith, and Spendthrift Farm LLC
Getting blinkers off in the Kentucky Derby after poor efforts in his first two starts of the year, the Kentucky Jockey Club winner ran a promising race while closing from last place. Completely missing the break, Keepmeinmind settled into nineteenth and last, dropping as many as nineteen lengths off the pace, before making a wide run around the final turn. He was making up ground better than anyone in the stretch, eventually finishing even with Midnight Bourbon in seventh place, beaten 8 1/2 lengths by Medina Spirit.
#3 Medina Spirit (Protonico – Monoglian Changa by Brilliant Speed)
Record: 6: 3-3-0
Odds: 9-5
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: John Velazquez
Owner: Zedan Racing Stables
Tasked with setting the pace for the first time since his Robert B. Lewis victory, Medina Spirit proved his tenacity once again by fending off all challengers to land a half length victory at 12-1 in the Kentucky Derby. Pressured slightly by Soup and Sandwich, Medina Spirit set measured quarter splits of 23.09, 46.70, 1:11.21, and 1:35.98 before doggedly holding off the three-pronged challenge of Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie, and Essential Quality. NBC anchor Randy Moss mentioned that in all prior races of Medina Spirit’s career, he had never let another horse pass him. It remains true after the Kentucky Derby. With the colt’s post race drug test indicating that he tested for trace amounts of a regulated therapeutic mediation that is not allowed on race day, Medina Spirit’s Kentucky Derby fate hinges on a split sample test that should return results in the coming weeks.
#4 Crowded Trade (More Than Ready – Maude S by Jump Start)
Odds: 10-1
Record: 3: 1-1-1
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Owner: Klaravich Stables, Inc.
Crowded Trade’s race record mirrors that of Brown, Castellano, and Klaravich Stables’ 2017 Preakness winner Cloud Computing. Having garnered enough points for the Kentucky Derby, his connections opted to wait for the Preakness instead. The most lightly raced horse in the field, Crowded Trade broke his maiden in late January at Aqueduct, closing from seven lengths back in the six furlong contest to win by a comfortable length. Tackling the Gotham Stakes next, the colt dueled with 46-1 longshot Weyburn for the majority of the Aqueduct stretch only to get a bad bob on the wire to lose by a nose. Sent off as one of the favorites in the Wood Memorial, Crowded Trade closed from second to last to finish third, beaten only 1 1/4 lengths by longshots Bourbonic and Dynamic One.
#5 Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow – Catch the Moon by Malibu Moon)
Odds: 5-1
Record: 8: 2-2-3
Trainer: Steven Asmussen
Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
Following his strong showings in the Lecomte, Risen Star, and Louisiana Derby, Midnight Bourbon was well supported at 13-1 in the Kentucky Derby wagering. Expected to be one of the early pacesetters, disaster struck shortly after the start when the colt was bumped soundly and ended up much further back than expected. Settling in midpack for most of the race, Midnight Bourbon ran on well to end up sixth, beaten 8 1/4 lengths. Getting champion rider Irad Ortiz aboard for the first time, expect Midnight Bourbon to be on the pace where he belongs in the Preakness.
#6 Rombauer (Twirling Candy – Cashmere by Cowboy Cal)
Odds: 12-1
Record: 6: 2-1-1
Trainer: Michael McCarthy
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Owners: John Fradkin and Diane Fradkin
Also initially eligible for the Kentucky Derby, the Fradkins chose to wait for the Preakness Stakes as well. Starting his career and breaking his maiden on the grass, Rombauer nearly became a Grade 1 winner in the American Pharoah Stakes when closing from last to be beaten only 3/4 of a length in his dirt debut. A promising fifth place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile closed his two-year-old season. Returning in the El Camino Real Derby over a synthetic surface at Golden Gate Fields, Rombauer earned an all expenses paid berth into the Preakness with his last to first victory. Closing from as far as 11 1/2 lengths back, the colt got up on the wire to win by a neck. Most recently, a change of tactics saw him closer to the pace en route to a third place effort, beaten 5 3/4 lengths, in the Blue Grass Stakes.
#7 France Go de Ina (Will Take Charge – Dreamy Blues by Curlin)
Odds: 20-1
Record: 4: 2-0-0
Trainer: Hideyuki Mori
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Owner: Yuji Inaida
Making his first start in the United States, the Japan-based France Go de Ina made his trek from the other side of the world to compete in the final two legs of the Triple Crown. After finishing fourth on debut, the colt stretched out to 1 1/8 miles to break his maiden by an easy 3 1/2 lengths. He followed up with a 4 1/2 length score in a weight-for-age race to end his juvenile season. Shipping to Dubai to tackle the UAE Derby, France Go de Ina went off as one of the favorites, but a nightmarish trip resulted in a sixth place finish. With the New York Racing Association imposing a $1 million bonus for any Japanese horse to win the Belmont Stakes, the colt made the journey and will test his chances.
#8 Unbridled Honor (Honor Code – Silvery Starlet by Unbridled’s Song)
Odds: 15-1
Record: 5: 1-1-0
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Luis Saez
Owner: Whisper Hill Farm, LLC
Off the board in his first two efforts as a two-year-old, Unbridled Honor returned to break his maiden in his first try at age three. Impressively navigating his way out of traffic trouble, the colt exploded once in the clear to post a half length victory at Tampa Bay Downs. His first stakes attempt in the Tampa Bay Derby resulted in a fourth place effort before shipping to Kentucky for the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. A 20-1 longshot, Unbridled Honor closed from 12 1/2 lengths back in last to finish second, beaten 2 3/4 lengths by King Fury over a sloppy track.
#9 Risk Taking (Medaglia d’Oro – Run a Risk by Distorted Humor)
Odds: 15-1
Record: 5: 2-0-0
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Owner: Klaravich Stables, Inc.
A late addition to the Preakness field, Risk Taking was the morning line favorite in last weekend’s Peter Pan Stakes before owner Seth Klarman decided to scratch the colt and have him join stablemate Crowded Trade on the trip to Baltimore. With experiments sprinting on the dirt and going two turns on the grass not having much success early in his career, Risk Taking got things on track following a chance at a 1 1/8 mile maiden race on the dirt. The colt closed strongly from midpack to post a 2 1/4 length victory that was impressive enough to have him go off the favorite in the Withers Stakes two months later. Again settling in midpack, Risk Taking made up ground and drew away powerfully to a 3 3/4 length victory. Favored again in the Wood Memorial, the colt put up a head scratcher when not firing to finish seventh. Appearing as though he can run all day, Risk Taking looks to get back on track in the Preakness.
#10 Concert Tour (Street Sense – Purse Strings by Tapit)
Odds: 5-2
Record: 4: 3-0-1
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Mike Smith
Owners: Gary West and Mary West
Generating buzz following his 3 1/2 length winning debut in January, Concert Tour jumped straight into stakes only three weeks later in the San Vicente. The 2-5 favorite, the colt sat just off the pace before dueling with stablemate Freedom Fighter down the stretch en route to a hard fought half length score. Taking his show on the road for the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, Concert Tour went to the lead and never looked back, geared down to an easy 4 1/4 length victory. With the performance installing him as one of the Kentucky Derby favorites, his final prep in the Arkansas Derby appeared to be Concert Tour’s to lose. Dueling through swift early fractions with Caddo River, Concert Tour ended up faltering to longshot Super Stock, finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind his rival and losing the photo over Caddo River to finish third. The decision was made to skip the Kentucky Derby and point for the Preakness Stakes instead.
