The second leg of the Triple Crown is upon us, and it’s time to find out if we’ll go into the Belmont with the Triple Crown on the line.

Unlike last year, the majority of this year’s Preakness starters did not run in the Kentucky Derby. How have newcomers done in the Preakness over the past 20 years? We take a look at that in our annual post, “Beware the New Shooters?”

Other Preakness resources include…

2014 Preakness Cheat Sheet
A quick summary of the field that’s great to share with friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do.

Ten Things You Should Know about the Preakness
A clock malfunction, venue change, notorious party scene and pristine art piece are just a few of the things you should know about the Preakness.

Preakness: The Lost New York Years
Like most cool things, the Preakness spent time in New York.

Horse Profile: Afleet Alex
It’s hard to think of Preaknesses past without thinking of Afleet Alex.

Preakness TV Schedule for Saturday May 17
Preakness Undercard – 1:00 – 4:30 pm ET NBC Sports Network
Preakness – 4:30 – 6:30 pm ET NBC
Preakness Post Race – 6:30 – 7:00 pm ET NBC Sports Network

Have a great time and cash plenty of tickets!

News About the Contenders
Blood-Horse: California Chrome Camp Dispels Sickness Rumor
Blood-Horse: Tonalist Keeps Clement’s Belmont Dream Alive
Blood-Horse: Ria Antonia, Dynamic Impact Work at Churchill
Blood-Horse: Haskin: A Horse to Soothe the Soul
Blood-Horse: ‘Chrome’s’ Journey on the Derby Dozen
Blood-Horse: Haskin’s Derby Recap: California Dreamin’
Blood-Horse: 2014 Kentucky Derby Race Sequence
Blood-Horse: 2014 Kentucky Oaks Race Sequence
Blood-Horse: Wildcat Red Gets Short Break After Derby Run
Blood-Horse: Rosario Named on Ride On Curlin for Preakness
Blood-Horse: Hoppertunity Off Triple Crown Trail
Blood-Horse: Derby Runner-Up to Target Belmont Stakes
Blood-Horse: Samraat, Others Exit Derby in Good Shape
Blood-Horse: 2014 Kentucky Oaks Wrap
Brisnet: Baffert eager for Napravnik to make history in Preakness aboard Bayern
Brisnet: General a Rod, Kid Cruz brave Pimlico’s morning fog together
Brisnet: Garcia: ignore Ring Weekend’s loss at Calder
Brisnet: Sherman: ‘I wouldn’t want to be in anybody else’s shoes right now’
Brisnet: Ride On Curlin breezes at Pimlico, other Preakness hopefuls gallop
Brisnet: Ward expecting speed from Pablo Del Monte
Brisnet: California Chrome arrives in Baltimore
Brisnet: Social Inclusion fires bullet half-mile at Pimlico
Brisnet: Bayern works at Churchill; Napravnik delighted
Brisnet: Ria Antonia definite for Preakness; Borel to ride
Brisnet: Azpurua expects good effort from Social Inclusion in Preakness
Brisnet: No Preakness for Untapable
Brisnet: Wildcat Red, Dance With Fate suffer cuts; other Derby also-rans good
DRF: Beyer: California Chrome still the one to beat
DRF: Baffert has one bullet left – Bayern
DRF: Azpurua would be oldest Preakness-winning trainer
DRF: California Chrome’s Kentucky Derby win a coup for statebred program

Preakness Stakes
Pimlico, Saturday May 17, post time: 6:18 ET
1 3/16 miles (9.5 furlongs)

Whenever a Kentucky Derby favorite wins as impressively as California Chrome did a fortnight ago, Triple Crown thoughts sprout up faster than spring flowers in May. There is no question that California Chrome, on paper at least, towers over this Preakness field, and the short 3-5 morning line is further confirmation that bettors are likely to see it the same way. Still, Classic races aren’t supposed to come as easily as they appear on paper. One does not have to go back further than one year to find a Kentucky Derby winner as celebrated as California Chrome who didn’t reaffirm his Derby form in the Preakness. Orb was as celebrated both in the press and at the windows in the Preakness. Both Orb and California Chrome share a lot in common as Preakness entrants: both won the Derby as the favorite, both received ideal trips when winning the Derby and both enter the Preakness having won five straight races.

As in the case of last year’s Preakness, there aren’t many Derby foes running back at California Chrome at Pimlico. None of the top five finishers from the Derby are back for the Preakness and no horse within six lengths of Chrome at the finish is back. Only two horses are returning from Churchill Downs, and they are General a Rod and Ride On Curlin, and neither looks to have any particularly good shot to turn the tables. Sure, Ride On Curlin had his customary troubled trip in the Derby, but that’s turned into a routine occurrence no matter what race he’s been in of late. When you examine Ride On Curlin’s form, you see two wins, both at sprinting distances as the favorite. He’s had a lot of chances against top company in two-turn affairs and he’s always settled for minor awards. As the co-third choice at 10-1 on the morning line and possibly lower than that by post time, there’s not much upside left from a wagering point of view. Still, Derby also-rans have done well in the Preakness of late–Oxbow and Shackleford come to mind. But that’s putting one’s hopes on forces beyond this horse’s current form.

General a Rod ran 11th in the Derby and that was a flat effort considering that he was expected to be part of the early pace. There didn’t seem to be any reason for the change in tactics, but while a review of the replay shows that he didn’t run all that bad having been taken off the pace, he was never a threat to the California Chrome at any point in the race. Still, he would appear to have a little more upside than Ride On Curlin from a wagering perspective as he will go off a longer price, and General a Rod basically ran an identical race to Ride On Curlin in the Derby. Jockey Joel Rosario parts ways with General a Rod to ride Ride On Curlin and Javier Castellano picks up the mount.

There are seven new faces for the Preakness and four of them passed on the Kentucky Derby despite having enough points to get in. They are led by Social Inclusion, second choice on the morning line at 5-1. He’s lightly raced and the speedy sort who is likely to keep the pace honest early. No shame in his last effort, a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial in his first stakes try to subsequent Derby also-rans in Wicked Strong and Samraat. The problem for Social Inclusion is the distance and the presence of other early speed in the form of Bayern. Bayern, also lightly raced, was last seen crossing the wire first in the Grade 3 Derby Trial but was subsequently disqualified to second. He’s taking the blinkers off to perhaps take some of the edge off his early speed, and while his form and company lines haven’t flattered, he’s still one with some remaining upside should he find the ability to rate early instead of gunning to the lead.

Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby winner Ring Weekend missed the Derby due to a fever. He took a significant step backwards when last seen in the Calder Derby 42 days ago getting blown out by 10 lengths as the odds-on favorite. He’s since regrouped at the Fair Hill Training Center and put in back-to-back bullet 6-furlong works. There’s not much upside here as he’s an early-speed type of horse going against the likes of California Chrome, Bayern and Social Inclusion, and all three of those appear to be in better form than Ring Weekend.

Pablo Del Monte also passed on the Derby despite drawing in off the also-eligible list. He appears outclassed on first look at his form, but his Grade 1 Blue Grass effort was deceptively impressive. He was against a track bias at Keeneland that day that was heavily favoring closers, and he almost went wire-to-wire before fading very late to Medal Count and Dance With Fate. The problem for Pablo Del Monte is that there’s other, faster early speed in here, and his two other efforts on dirt were not particularly inspiring. Still, he appears to be a horse going in the right direction and is worth consideration at a very long price.

Dynamic Impact ran down Midnight Hawk to win the Grade 3 Illinois Derby in his last race four weeks ago. That was quite an improvement, to go from maiden winner to graded stakes winner, and he’s another with some upside in here, but that could be depressed should his price drift too low as indicated by the 12-1 morning line. Kid Cruz has won two straight minor stakes in Maryland in closing fashion and that kind of running style could suit, should the projected pace develop in front of him as expected. He would need to further improve quite a bit to win this race. Filly Ria Antonia has been summarily dismissed by touts and media alike for the connections’ penchant for changing trainers often. This time they moved the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner to trainer Tom Amoss from Bob Baffert. She’ll shed the blinkers and that’s a wise decision, as that should put her near the back of the pack in a race filled with speed. She gets a significant five-pound break in the weights, and if you’re willing to throw out the races in which she was in against Untapable, who would have been one of the favorites in here had her connections chosen the Preakness, then Ria Antonia could work out a trip if the race truly falls apart. There are worse 30-1 longshots in recent Preakness history.

– Chris Rossi

2014 Preakness Chart

News and Recaps
California Chrome stars again in Preakness, Triple Crown bid up next
NYRA reveals Belmont contenders list
‘Chrome’ Wins Preakness, Shot at Triple Crown
California Chrome prevails in Preakness

2014 Preakness Replay