The Preakness new shooters are taking dead aim on an assault at Pimlico and although Always Dreaming was impressive in the Kentucky Derby, this will be a new situation.
The Preakness will be run May 20 in Baltimore. The race is run at a mile and three sixteenths, which is slightly shorter than the Kentucky Derby.
Sometimes after a crushing defeat, it’s wiser to regroup, recoup and point to a new goal. That is what the connections of Irish War Cry are likely to do. The runner will likely skip the Preakness and point to the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. The fact that he will not be one of the Preakness new shooters is logical. He is owned by Isabelle de Tomaso. Her father Amory Haskell was racing royalty in New Jersey and aiming for the race in his honor makes sense.
Some of the Preakness new shooters are known, and some not so much.
Royal Mo, a son of Uncle Mo, must show he can win outside of California but he is one of the most visible Preakness new shooters. He was on the also-eligible list for the Kentucky Derby and just didn’t draw into the race. The runner stalked to no avail when out in post 10 in the Rebel two back but would expect his rider to be aggressive. Trainer John Shirreffs teamed with these owners, the Moss’, to win the Kentucky Derby with Giacomo in 2005. There is some involved as if you delve into the pedigree of this runner the classy runner Irish Linnet shows. That win machine won 18 times, took a plethora of stakes and banked $1.1 million.
Cloud Computing is one of the Preakness new shooters that is interesting. First off, he is trained by the sensational Chad Brown and that is an endorsement it itself. He has never run a bad race in his three career starts and he was over seven lengths clear of his nearest rival in the Gotham Stakes in only his third start. The sophomore was wide in his last race when beaten by Irish War Cry in the Wood Memorial. The $200,000 purchase has trained fast since that race including a best of the morning workout on Sunday May 7. As far as the pedigree is concerned, Cloud Computing has some things going for him. His dam earned almost $250,000 and if you delve into the blood, Halo America becomes visible. That mare took the Grade 1 Apple Blossom and banked over $1.4 million.
Conquest Mo Money may not get much respect as one of the Preakness new shooters but that might be a mistake. He showed tactical speed in his New Mexico win and took all the worst of it in the Sunland Derby when marooned in post eleven. He again drew a poor post in the Arkansas Derby but gave Classic Empire all he could handle. Factor in the knowledge that Classic Empire ran well despite a horrible trip in the Kentucky Derby and Conquest Mo Money looks even better. Another thing this runner has going for him is stamina deep in his pedigree. Examine the blood long enough and Touch Gold materializes. That runner took the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and earned over $1.6 million.
Multiplier figures to be longshot of the Preakness new shooters. Sure, he has never run a poor race but he beat a suspect field in the Illinois Derby. He already has repaid his $62,000 purchase price but could be left with a lot to do if he starts at Pimlico for the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Malagacy, trained by Todd Pletcher, was eliminated at the draw of the Arkansas Derby when he landed the disadvantageous outside slot. He was gallant to force the issue but had nothing left when the real racing started.
Irish-based Aidan O’Brien is contemplating sending Lancaster Bomber in the Preakness. This runner was Group 1 placed as a juvenile and was a troubled second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last year. He was only beaten 2 lengths in the UAE Derby. The winner of that race didn’t handle Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby and the place horse in the UAE Derby has only lost once in his career. The thing the Bomber will have to prove is that he can win on dirt.
Senior Investment has won three of his eight races and after taking time to figure it out, he has thrived of late. He has only run one poor race since graduating and is coming off his best win when he took the Lexington Stakes by a head. Trained by Kenny McPeek, Senior Investment showed he is feeling pretty good about himself when he worked on May 8. He drilled 5 furlongs in 1:00 2/5, the best of 23 at the distance. There are several multiple race siblings that are connected to Senior Investment and his dam Plaid won five stakes and earned nearly $600,000.
Among the Derby rivals who could face Always Dreaming again in the Preakness are Lookin At Lee, who finished second and Classic Empire, who was fourth.
Classic Empire, who is trained by Mark Casse, took the Kentucky Derby like a warrior. He had
some scrapes on his legs that assistant trainer Norm Casse indicated were superficial. The immediate thing that was a concern for Classic Empire was his eye. After the Kentucky Derby, Classic Empire’s right eye was swollen because of the kickback form the sloppy track at Churchill Downs. The connections expect the eye to be fully healed by the time of the Preakness.
Gunnevera will contest the Baltimore classic. Trainer Antonio Sano will replace jockey Javier Castellano with Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith.
Lookin at Lee showed he belongs in the conversation with the best of his generation when he was a well-clear second in the Kentucky Derby. The concern about this runner is his style. He has a solid late kick, but it’s never easy to concede ten of fifteen lengths early and still win. Lookin at Lee has proven to be a bargain. He cost $70,000 but has already earned over $850,000. The fans that back this runner in the Preakness Stakes must project a hot and heavy pace and then rely on the ‘trip’ gods. Those gods will need to guide Lookin at Lee through traffic to reach the promised land.
