BALTIMORE – Journalism, the Kentucky Derby runner-up, drew post 2 and was installed as the strong favorite in a field of nine entered Monday for Saturday’s 150th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.
Pimlico linemaker Dan Illman made Journalism the 8-5 favorite, while Daily Racing Form’s David Aragona pegged Journalism as the 6-5 choice. Journalism was the 3-1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby, finishing second by 1 1/2 lengths to Sovereignty.
“I don’t have a problem being in the two-hole,” Michael McCarthy, trainer of Journalism, said by phone after the draw. “My horse has enough tactical speed to bounce on out of there.”
Journalism, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby winner, broke from post 7 in the Kentucky Derby and was inhibited some when Martin Garcia, on Citizen Bull, came out several paths from the rail draw, creating some traffic issues for horses to his outside. Citizen Bull was trained by Bob Baffert, who has Goal Oriented in the Preakness breaking from the rail. Baffert is seeking a record-extending ninth Preakness win.
“That’s the way we roll,” Baffert, who attended the draw at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore, said about drawing the rail. “Once you draw it, you can’t think about it. That’s it. That’s a Prat problem.”
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Baffert was referring to jockey Flavien Prat who will ride Goal Oriented in the Preakness. Goal Oriented is making just his third lifetime start, first in a stakes race. He is coming off a first-level allowance win at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day, a race he won in front-running fashion after winning his debut sprinting from off the pace.
“His first out, he was behind horses – he settled behind horses all right,” Baffert said. “He didn’t like the kickback too much. When I took him to Louisville, he had the mud, so I told Prat just to get him out of there and he handled that pretty well. Hopefully, he’s moving forward.”
Both Illman and Aragona have Goal Oriented at 6-1, the fifth choice in the race.
Sandman, who finished seventh as the second choice in the Kentucky Derby after winning the Arkansas Derby, drew post 7 in the Preakness. He is the second choice on the line of both Illman (4-1) and Aragona (9-2). Sandman, trained by Mark Casse, has developed quite the following in part because social-media influencer Griffin Johnson owns a share of the horse and has shared his Triple Crown journey with millions of followers on social-media platforms.
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Journalism, Sandman, and American Promise are the only three horses from the Kentucky Derby that are running in the Preakness. American Promise, 16th in the Derby, is trained by 89-year-old D. Wayne Lukas, who has won the Preakness seven times including last year with Seize the Grey.
American Promise, who won the Viriginia Derby, drew post 3 and will be ridden by Nik Juarez. Outside of American Promise, in post order, are Heart of Honor (Saffie Osborne), Pay Billy (Raul Mena), River Thames (Irad Oritz Jr.), Sandman (John Velazquez), Clever Again (Jose Ortiz), and Gosger (Luis Saez).
Preakness 150 field
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goal Oriented | Flavien Prat | 6-1 |
| 2 | Journalism | Umberto Rispoli | 8-5 |
| 3 | American Promise | Nik Juarez | 15-1 |
| 4 | Heart of Honor | Saffie Osborne | 12-1 |
| 5 | Pay Billy | Raul Mena | 20-1 |
| 6 | River Thames | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 9-2 |
| 7 | Sandman | John Velazquez | 4-1 |
| 8 | Clever Again | Jose Ortiz | 5-1 |
| 9 | Gosger | Luis Saez | 20-1 |
Morning-line odds
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