Preakness Report

Bodemeister could give Baffert a sixth Preakness victory (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

Bodemeister came up short when finishing second in the Kentucky Derby,
but Saturday’s Preakness Stakes shapes up differently with the talented colt as
the probable lone speed.

He enjoyed no such luxury at Churchill Downs, whipping through splits of :22
1/5, :45 1/5 and 1:09 4/5 while being chased by the ultra-quick Trinniberg, but
none of his 10 rivals Saturday appear capable of applying serious pressure. His
tactical advantage is such that Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another,
who enjoyed the perfect trip when rating off the pace two weeks ago, may be
forced to take up the early chase in order to keep Bodemeister company. But it’s
difficult to imagine any rival sticking with the pacesetter — Bodemeister owns
too much natural speed and will look to accelerate away turning for home.

Bodemeister captured the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby two starts back by a widening
9 1/2-length margin under a similar pace scenario and is trained by Hall of
Famer Bob Baffert, who has captured the Preakness a whopping five times with
horses exiting the Kentucky Derby. His runners tend to run right back to, or
even improve upon, their Derby form.

And the quality of competition can be questioned — Bodemeister definitely
won’t be facing a deep roster of proven foes Saturday. He appears capable of
dominating the Preakness on the front end.

I’ll Have Another is seeking to add the second jewel of the Triple Crown to his resume (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

Went the Day Well has the potential to get involved if he continues to
move forward off an encouraging fourth in the Kentucky Derby. He was compromised
at the start, dropping farther back than expected in the congested field, but
finished full of gusto to be beaten only 2 1/2 lengths and galloped out past the
top three after the wire. His BRIS numbers are strong and I will include the
promising colt in the exacta.

Creative Cause is the 6-1 co-third choice on the morning line
following a wide fifth at Churchill Downs, but the Grade 1-winning colt is a
play against for me. He was dogged by physical concerns the week before the
Derby and trainer Mike Harrington elected to ship him back and forth to
California afterward instead of remaining in Kentucky with other Preakness
prospects. Creative Cause may be heading in the wrong direction presently.

Daddy Nose Best was training forwardly for the Derby and is eligible
to improve upon a disappointing 10th, but the late runner doesn’t possess a
favorable running style and may leave himself with too much to do in the
stretch.

Optimizer looks better-suited for turf and would be a huge surprise
here. The new shooters in the Preakness – Cozzetti, Pretension,
Teeth of the Dog, Tiger Walk and Zetterholm – probably aren’t
fast enough to make a significant impact.