American Pharoah favored in 3-horse race at Preakness

BALTIMORE - The Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes may be more glamorous, but it's the Preakness alone that can transform three distinct races into a Triple Crown.

When Derby winners falter at Pimlico, the anticipation and curiosity that animate the three races disappears. Whatever happened at Churchill Downs two weeks earlier fades from memory. And June's climactic Belmont is instead anticlimactic.

So, in addition to jockey Victor Espinoza, American Pharoah will carry that burden for the troubled sport late Saturday afternoon when he heads a bifurcated field of eight 3-year-olds in the 140th Preakness.

The Bob Baffert-trained favorite's relatively easy but unexciting Derby victory apparently didn't scare either handicappers or the two horses that dueled with him in what was a runaway pack at the Run for the Roses.

American Pharoah has been installed as the 4-5 choice in what many believe will again be a three-horse contest. The two other top contenders in the 13/16-mile event are the same pair that sparred with him throughout the Derby's 11/4 miles: runner-up Firing Line, 4-1 here; and third-place Dortmund, the second choice at 7-2 in the morning line.

"Several of these horses look good," said Dallas Stewart, the trainer of Tale of Verve. "But there's not much question that American Pharoah is still the horse to beat." Tale of Verve is the field's 30-1 long shot who will break from the No. 5 post.

Baffert said once-beaten Dortmund, whom he also trains, has bounced back well from the Derby.

"He's going to be tough again," predicted Baffert, who in 1997, 1998, and 2002 captured Preaknesses with Derby winners. "It's going to be interesting. What happens in the first turn will determine everything."

Baffert wasn't thrilled that America Pharoah and Dortmund drew the 1 and 2 posts, respectively, positions that could find one or both boxed on the rail by early speed.

"We didn't like the draw," Baffert said.

Meanwhile, the best hopes for Firing Line, who has the outside 8 post, could rest in the saddle. Veteran jockey Gary Stevens has won three Preaknesses and almost stole this year's lackluster Derby.

"When you get in the high-end races like these, you can't have anyone better on your horse," Firing Line trainer Simon Callaghan said of Stevens. "He had Firing Line in a perfect spot [in the Derby] but we just got run down in the end."

Beyond the top three, the field seems undistinguished. Danzig Moon and D. Wayne Lukas' Mr. Z finished fifth and 13th, respectively, at Churchill Downs. And none of the three newcomers competing for the $1.5 million purse - Tale of Verve, Bodhisattva, and Divining Rod – look ready to compete here.

Divining Rod, however, does figure to draw a lot of attention - though not for his racing creds, the highlight of which was a modest victory in the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes.

That's because he's owned by Chester County's Roy and Gretchen Jackson, who also had Barbaro, the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner whose leg and Triple Crown dream ended when he stumbled out of Pimlico's gate.

Curiously, 12-1 Divining Rod will be ridden by Javier Castellano, who rode the horse that ultimately won that 2006 Preakness, Bernardini.

"It's his only Triple Crown win," Roy Jackson noted earlier this week. "It's sort of ironic to have him come back and ride this horse. It's interesting how things go around."

Pimlico, the deteriorating track in a deteriorating neighborhood, has received its annual sprucing up. But since there are rain showers in Saturday's forecast, and since Baltimore is still reeling from the after-shocks of last month's rioting, officials don't expect last year's record crowd of 123,460 to be challenged.

The field for Saturday's 140th Preakness Stakes, with post position, horse's name, jockey's name, and odds:

PP   Horse   Jockey   Odds   

1   American Pharoah   Victor Espinoza   4-5

2   Dortmund   Martin Garcia   7-2

3   Mr. Z   Corey Nakatani   20-1

4   Danzig Moon   Julien Leparoux   15-1

5   Tale of Verve   Joel Rosario   30-1

6   Bodhisattva   Trevor McCarthy   20-1

7   Divining Rod   Javier Castellano   12-1

8   Firing Line   Gary Stevens   4-1

EndText