Preakness Stakes Fever Runs High
Since the inauguration of the Preakness Stakes in 1873, at the Pimlico Racecourse in Maryland, it has become the race to look out for, as it determines whether there is a horse that is in the running to capture the elusive Triple Crown title. The winner receives a blanket of Black-eyed Susan flowers, giving the race the nickname of “The Run for the Black-eyed Susans”. It is a Grade 1 event for thoroughbred racehorses and is the second leg in the Triple Crown. This year, the Preakness Stakes will take place on Saturday, 15 May 2010.
The last horse to capture the Triple Crown, was Affirmed, winning all three racing events in 1978. Super Saver was able to run to victory in the Kentucky Derby, and will now be looking at taking the Preakness Stakes. Both jockey, Calvin Borel, and trainer, Todd Pletcher, believe that Super Saver has a good chance to win on Saturday. Pletcher commented: “I think he’s got a big chance to win at Pimlico. So we’re going to tackle that assignment and then we’ve got three weeks ’til the next one. I think coming into the Derby it appeared to be a very wide open group and I think it’s still a little bit wide open. But I wouldn’t trade places with anyone, especially going to Pimlico and backing up a little bit of distance.”
Super Saver will be going up against eleven other contenders, and their post positions have been released, which are as follows: Post 1 Aikenite (Javier Castellano), Post 2 Schoolyard Dreams (Eibar Coa), Post 3 Pleasant Prince (Julien Leparoux), Post 4 Northern Giant (Terry Thompson), Post 5 Yawanna Twist (Edgar Prado), Post 6 Jackson Bend (Mike Smith), Post 7 Lookin’ At Lucky (Martin Garcia), Post 8 Super Saver (Calvin Borel), Post 9 Caracortado (Paul Atkinson), Post 10 Paddy O’Prado (Kent Desormeaux), Post 11 First Dude (Ramon Dominguez) and in Post 12 is Dublin (Garrett Gomez). Super Saver will be sent off as the race favorite for Saturday, but as all racing enthusiasts know, nothing is cast in stone till the race is run, and all contenders are wished the best of luck for the Preakness Stakes.
