HORSE RACING

New horses bring fresh element of speed into Preakness

Jennie Rees
USA TODAY Sports


BALTIMORE – If the much-prophesied speed never materialized in the Kentucky Derby, Saturday's Preakness Stakes should more than make up for it.

We're serious this time.

Ron Sanchez pretty much assures us of that.

Sanchez is the very hands-on owner of the Manny Azpurua-trained Social Inclusion, one of seven horses who did not contest the Derby but were among the 10 entered for the $1.5 million Preakness at Pimlico Race Course. The colt, who drew the No. 8 post, is the 5-1 second choice, behind Derby winner California Chrome, the 3-5 morning-line choice who starts from No. 3.

"Probably everybody thinks there's going to be a lot of speed and then they try to stalk," Sanchez said of the Derby, which became a logjam of jockeys wanting the same spot. "But it wasn't a good decision. We'll have a lot of speed here, I'm sure. I'm really sure.

"We'll take the lead, or at least be 1-2-3. No farther back than that. It wouldn't make any sense. This is a horse with speed, and you have to use it."

The Derby's promise of plenty of early gas fizzled when a couple of the speed horses didn't — or couldn't, because of bumping — go for the lead. Suddenly, California Chrome was pressing a half-mile in 47.37 seconds and six furlongs in 1:11.80 en route to victory. Such a pace is fast if you're the one doing it while trying to run 1¼ miles. It's slow if you're trying to close behind it.

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To put the pace into context, last year's Derby splits were 45.33 and 1:09.80 — or 10 lengths difference. California Chrome's final time of 2:03.66 was the slowest Derby on a fast track since 1974, albeit jockey Victor Espinoza decidedly downshifted the last sixteenth-mile.

But the 13/16-mile Preakness features two very fast horses who weren't in the Derby: Social Inclusion and Bayern, who finished first by a nose in the Derby Trial but was disqualified to second for interference.

Bayern and Social Inclusion have almost identical form, except that Bayern has made four starts to Social Inclusion's three. Bayern breaks from No. 5, and was made the co-third choice at 10-1.

Neither raced as 2-year-olds. Both won their first start sprinting by open lengths. Both won their second start in a two-turn allowance race by double-digit margins (with Social Inclusion setting Gulfstream Park's track record for 11/16 miles). Both then were third after setting the pace in 11/8-mile, Grade I races, Social Inclusion in the Wood Memorial and Bayern in the Arkansas Derby.

Social Inclusion found himself wide after breaking from post 10 in the Wood. He had a 1½-length lead in midstretch before giving way.

Bayern, though not so wide, ran a similar race in the Arkansas Derby. Both horses would have been in the Kentucky Derby had they finished second, with Social Inclusion losing that placing by a nose and Bayern by a half-length. Those narrow defeats left them without enough points to be assured of making the Derby field of 20.

"I was thinking Derby when I went to Arkansas. I was hoping for a Bodemeister," said trainer Bob Baffert, referring to his 2012 Arkansas Derby winner and Kentucky Derby and Preakness runner-up, who also did not race at 2. "He ran well. He got a little 'late' there at the end, but he ran an incredible race.

"… I was thinking Preakness after the Derby Trial. I was a little bit disappointed he couldn't separate himself from those horses. He still won, but I was looking for a bigger effort. Then he came back well. Maybe he just needed some seasoning."

Baffert is taking off Bayern's blinkers. "If he's going to lay off horses, he's going to be better off without blinkers," he said. "… (But) he has a lot of speed and is going to be up close. We're not taking him back."

Social Inclusion also was to have a Preakness prep, but a minor foot bruise kept him out of Gulfstream's May 5 Sir Bear Stakes. The foot sure didn't seem to be bothering him when working a half-mile in 47 seconds Monday at Pimlico.

"I was impressed with his Wood," Baffert said of Social Inclusion. "He got tired, but he was supposed to get tired. He's going to be tough if he gets in the groove. The break is going to be so important with those speed horses, anyway, even California Chrome."

Art Sherman, trainer of California Chrome, agrees.

"The Preakness field is different to me (from the Derby) because of the speed-laden horses that are in there," he said. "I've watched Bayern run at Santa Anita, and he's got a lot of gas. I see there are a couple of new shooters in here. Wesley Ward's horse (Pablo Del Monte) has speed. Social Inclusion.

"But my horse, people don't realize, has got a little gas himself. … He can go :22, :45, 1:09 and change, a mile in 1:33. I think I'm in just as good of shape as anybody. How the field breaks away from there and where you're at … the first 70 yards are very important."

We know how good California Chrome is, having won his past five stakes by a combined 26 lengths.

"Social Inclusion and Bayern, we still don't know their limitations," Baffert said. "A lot of things will be answered in this race."

Contact Jennie Rees at 502-582-4042. Follow her on Twitter @CJ_Jennie, Facebook.com/CJJennie and courier-journal.com/racingblog.

139th Preakness Stakes

6:15 p.m. Saturday, Pimlico Race Course, NBC-3