Results of the 132nd Preakness Stakes
Wed, 05/30/2007 - 04:16
The Preakness, second race of the Triple Crown, ended much like the Kentucky Derby earlier this month. In the mix were Hard Spun, Street Sense, and Curlin. Only this time it was Curlin, the 3rd place finisher in the Derby, that took the crown. And in this case, the crown is $1,000,000.
Win: Curlin
Place: Street Sense
Show: Hard Spun
On a $2 (minimum) bet, Curlin paid $8.80, 3.80, and $2.80. Street Sense, the favorite for the race, paid $3.00 and $2.40. Hard Spun, the hard-running bridesmaid, paid $3 to show.
This was Curlin’s fifth start under jockey Robby Albarado. And to the jockey, this was anything but a sure thing. According to Albarado, “He stumbled pretty bad leaving the gates. My whole focus today was getting him away from the gates in order. I kept focusing on that, making sure he is wound up well enough, and he stumbled. Obviously I had to go to plan B. I had to use him a little more than I needed to under the wire the first time, keeping him in contention. But I was always content where I was. I kept my horns spun and awaited the champ to come on by any time.”
Street Sense, winner of the Kentucky Derby, ran a very similar race at the Preakness. He started way back, just as he did in the Derby, in next to last place, and then powered up in the final stretch. Curlin ran the same way, gaining speed as the race continued. In contrast, Hard Spun ran a very steady race, maintaining a place in the first three spots most of the time.
Street Sense muscled past Hard Spun, who had also made a sprint for the lead at the home stretch. Both horses found themselves overtaking Xchanger, who had been in the lead for most of the race, but fell back dramatically in the home stretch, finishing 8th. According to 23-1 shot Xchanger’s jockey, Ramon Dominguez, “He broke inward and when I corrected him, he took off with me. He was going a little quicker than we wanted and I tried my best to squeeze him. But at the three-eighths pole he was pretty much empty.”
After Xchanger the early starters were Flying First Class (17-1), Hard Spun, and King of the Roxy (14-1). Hard Spun took the lead after ¾ of the race was through. Hard Spun’s jockey Mario Pino said, "When I made my move, I didn't want to wait and let them get on top of me. It could have really worked out for us right there. They were really coming hard, and there was nothing I could have done about it. I thought Street Sense was going to win when he went by me."
Street Sense looked to be assured of another victory after darting ahead of Hard Spun, until Curlin gave chase. The pair had both come from way behind, as is their habit, to duel neck and neck through the final 1/16th of the home stretch. According to Robby Albarado, “Curlin was negotiating in the short turns here at Pimlico really well. I was getting him out and trying to manage him and guide him around that. Street Sense ran up inside of me very, very rapidly. He just exploded away from him. I needed to get him in lead. He exploded for me.”
In the end, Curlin surged in front of Street Sense by only a head—the shortest margin in Preakness history. Street Sense’s jockey, Calvin Borel said, "I thought it was all over when I got by Hard Spun turning for home. I thought he was just going to gallop. But things happen. He just got to gawking 40 yards from home and he just got outrun. I thought I rode a perfect race, and Carl did too. It's far from over. If he comes back good, we'll be alright." Curlin tied the record for the Preakness Stakes at 1:53.46.
121,263 racing fans crowded Pimlico for the Preakness, the biggest audience on record. The weather was alternately clear, darkly clouded, and rainy. The race was broadcast on NBC and was the highest ranked sports broadcast of the weekend, bringing in 7.2 million viewers and beating out the NBA playoffs.
The other finishers:
4. C P West
5. Circular Quay
6. King of the Roxy
7. Mint Slewlep
8. Xchanger
9. Flying First Class
Owners said after the Preakness that Hard Spun and Curlin will be running in the Belmont Stakes, while it appears that Street Sense may opt out. Other contenders for the third and last Triple Crown race are lining up.