Post time for the 143rd Preakness Stakes is 6:48 p.m. ET Saturday. (TV: NBCSN, 2:30 p.m.; NBC, 5 p.m.). USA TODAY’s Dan Wolken takes a look at the field for the 13/16-mile race:
1. Quip (12-1)
Owners: WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International, SF Racing
Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Record: 3-1-0 in five starts
Notable: Bypassed the Kentucky Derby to point for the Preakness, which should suit his front-running style. Owned by the same principals as Justify, they felt he deserved his chance after a good second in the Arkansas Derby on April 14. Brisset, a longtime Bill Mott assistant who went out on his own last year, is making his Triple Crown debut at 34.
2. Lone Sailor (15-1)
Owner: G M B Racing
Trainer: Tom Amoss
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Record: 1-3-1 in nine starts
Notable: Sharp handicappers liked his chances of hitting the board in the Derby, but he finished eighth after a troubled trip that included losing a shoe in the mud at Churchill Downs. The connections are taking another shot in this small Preakness field and hoping to score a victory for his now-deceased owner Tom Benson, who is mostly known for owning the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans.
3. Sporting Chance (30-1)
Owners: Robert Baker and William Mack
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Luis Contreras
Record: 2-1-1 in seven starts
Notable: Although he’s winless since capturing the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes for 2-year-olds in September, he’s been in the mix with other top 3-year-olds, finishing third in both the Southwest and Blue Grass Stakes. His fourth-place finish in the Pat Day Mile on the Derby undercard didn’t deter Lukas from entering him here.
4. Diamond King (30-1)
Owner: Cash is King, D.J. Stable, LC Racing
Trainer: John Servis
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Record: 4-0-1 in six starts
Notable: This will be a huge step up in class after a win in the Federico Tesio stakes at Laurel Park last month. There are some strong human connections to past Preakness success, however, as owner Chuck Zacney’s Cash is King Stable campaigned 2005 winner Afleet Alex and trainer John Servis returns for the first time since sending Smarty Jones to an 111/2-length win in 2004.
5. Good Magic (3-1)
Owners: E Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables
An exercise rider works Kentucky Derby entry Good Magic at Churchill Downs. (Photo: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports)
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Record: 2-3-1 in six starts
Notable: Had every chance to win the Derby but just couldn’t keep pace in the stretch once Justify hit another gear. Still, it was a solid second for last year’s 2-year-old champion and he bounced out of the race in good enough shape physically for Brown, who won last year’s Preakness with Cloud Computing, to take another shot.
6. Tenfold (20-1)
Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
Record: 2-0-0 in three starts
Notable: Much like Justify, he got a late start to his career, breaking his maiden in February but showing enough ability that Asmussen tried the Arkansas Derby in his third race. Though he finished fifth, thus not earning enough points for the Kentucky Derby, it says a lot that Asmussen thinks enough of him to try this race when there are plenty of easier graded stakes for 3-year-olds he would be favored in.
7. Justify (1-2)
Owners: China Horse Club International, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing and WinStar Farm
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Mike Smith takes Justify to the winner's circle at the Kentucky Derby. (Photo: Mark Zerof, USA TODAY Sports)
Jockey: Mike Smith
Record: 4-0-0 in four starts
Notable: Baffert will try to make it 5-for-5 in the Preakness with his Kentucky Derby winners, as Justify looms a heavy favorite following his 21/2-length win at Churchill Downs. A victory would also give Baffert 14 wins in Triple Crown races, tying him with D. Wayne Lukas for most all time. Remarkably, American Pharoah in 2015 is the last Derby winner to win any subsequent races.
8. Bravazo (20-1)
Owner: Calumet Farm
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Luis Saez
Record: 3-1-1 in nine starts
Notable: Lukas has won this race six times, including in 2013 with longshot Oxbow, who finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby. He’s trying to follow the same template here with Bravazo, who was actually one of the few horses doing any running late behind Justify despite being forced wide on the final turn. He won his first two races this year, including the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds.
1. Quip (12-1)
Owners: WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International, SF Racing
Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Record: 3-1-0 in five starts
Notable: Bypassed the Kentucky Derby to point for the Preakness, which should suit his front-running style. Owned by the same principals as Justify, they felt he deserved his chance after a good second in the Arkansas Derby on April 14. Brisset, a longtime Bill Mott assistant who went out on his own last year, is making his Triple Crown debut at 34.
2. Lone Sailor (15-1)
Owner: G M B Racing
Trainer: Tom Amoss
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Record: 1-3-1 in nine starts
Notable: Sharp handicappers liked his chances of hitting the board in the Derby, but he finished eighth after a troubled trip that included losing a shoe in the mud at Churchill Downs. The connections are taking another shot in this small Preakness field and hoping to score a victory for his now-deceased owner Tom Benson, who is mostly known for owning the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans.
3. Sporting Chance (30-1)
Owners: Robert Baker and William Mack
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Luis Contreras
Record: 2-1-1 in seven starts
Notable: Although he’s winless since capturing the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes for 2-year-olds in September, he’s been in the mix with other top 3-year-olds, finishing third in both the Southwest and Blue Grass Stakes. His fourth-place finish in the Pat Day Mile on the Derby undercard didn’t deter Lukas from entering him here.
4. Diamond King (30-1)
Owner: Cash is King, D.J. Stable, LC Racing
Trainer: John Servis
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Record: 4-0-1 in six starts
Notable: This will be a huge step up in class after a win in the Federico Tesio stakes at Laurel Park last month. There are some strong human connections to past Preakness success, however, as owner Chuck Zacney’s Cash is King Stable campaigned 2005 winner Afleet Alex and trainer John Servis returns for the first time since sending Smarty Jones to an 111/2-length win in 2004.
5. Good Magic (3-1)
Owners: E Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables
An exercise rider works Kentucky Derby entry Good Magic at Churchill Downs. (Photo: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports)Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Record: 2-3-1 in six starts
Notable: Had every chance to win the Derby but just couldn’t keep pace in the stretch once Justify hit another gear. Still, it was a solid second for last year’s 2-year-old champion and he bounced out of the race in good enough shape physically for Brown, who won last year’s Preakness with Cloud Computing, to take another shot.
6. Tenfold (20-1)
Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
Record: 2-0-0 in three starts
Notable: Much like Justify, he got a late start to his career, breaking his maiden in February but showing enough ability that Asmussen tried the Arkansas Derby in his third race. Though he finished fifth, thus not earning enough points for the Kentucky Derby, it says a lot that Asmussen thinks enough of him to try this race when there are plenty of easier graded stakes for 3-year-olds he would be favored in.
7. Justify (1-2)
Owners: China Horse Club International, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing and WinStar Farm
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Mike Smith takes Justify to the winner's circle at the Kentucky Derby. (Photo: Mark Zerof, USA TODAY Sports)Jockey: Mike Smith
Record: 4-0-0 in four starts
Notable: Baffert will try to make it 5-for-5 in the Preakness with his Kentucky Derby winners, as Justify looms a heavy favorite following his 21/2-length win at Churchill Downs. A victory would also give Baffert 14 wins in Triple Crown races, tying him with D. Wayne Lukas for most all time. Remarkably, American Pharoah in 2015 is the last Derby winner to win any subsequent races.
8. Bravazo (20-1)
Owner: Calumet Farm
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Luis Saez
Record: 3-1-1 in nine starts
Notable: Lukas has won this race six times, including in 2013 with longshot Oxbow, who finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby. He’s trying to follow the same template here with Bravazo, who was actually one of the few horses doing any running late behind Justify despite being forced wide on the final turn. He won his first two races this year, including the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds.
