Preakness Stakes

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has announced that the state of Maryland has matched the $85-million bid from Churchill Downs for the intellectual property and branding rights to the Preakness, which will now be held by the state. The story was first reported by the Baltimore Banner. Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement provided to the Banner that his administration has made "historic investments" to ensure the future of Maryland's racing industry, and that the $85-million decision will secure a "vital asset for our state." It will "preserve Maryland's position...

Alberto Delgado, who earned Eclipse Award honors as the champion apprentice jockey in 1982, recorded his first win as a trainer when In Honor of Jeff rallied from last in Sunday's sixth race at Laurel Park, a $12,500 non-winners-of-two claimer for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs. It was the ninth starter saddled by Delgado, who retired from riding to train full time last December. "It feels great. I ran a couple of horses, and they were not running well," said Delgado. "Even though this horse was training well, you...

Pop quiz: what do 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify and Atomic Blonde, dam of last week's GI Preakness Stakes winner Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), have in common? Both are by Scat Daddy, both were bred by the Gunther family, and both were raised at Glennwood Farm near Versailles, Kentucky. Justify and Atomic Blonde also have something else in common with a number of other Glennwood-bred and -raised Grade I winners such as Vino Rosso, Tamarkuz, First Samurai, and Stevie Wonderboy. "We do tend to raise some good chestnuts on this...

TIMONIUM, MD - Buyers were out in force at the Maryland State Fairgrounds on a balmy Sunday morning in Timonium, a day ahead of the start of the two-session Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Trainer Chad Summers, a day removed from his first GI Preakness Stakes victory with Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), was busy on the sales grounds. Also making the trek an hour so north after saddling horses in Saturday's Preakness at Laurel were conditioners Steve Asmussen, Danny Gargan, and Dallas Stewart, as well as the Legion...

TDN's Chief Correspondent Bill Finley is joined by Senior Contributing Editor Alan Carasso and Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack to handicap Saturday's GI Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park. FINLEY: Honestly, it's hard to like anyone in a race that looks like it will be a mad scramble and is made up of so many horses who really aren't Triple Crown caliber. The right move is probably to go for a longshot and just hope to get lucky. The pick here will be Pretty Boy Miah (Beau Liam), who is 15-1...

TIMONIUM, MD - As Taj Mahal (Nyquist) goes postward in the GI Preakness Stakes at Laurel Saturday, his 2-year-old full-sister (hip 402) will be about an hour northwards showing to prospective buyers ahead of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale in Timonium. While the filly is in line for a major update should her brother win the second leg of the Triple Crown, she can more than hold her own, according Top Line Sales' Jimbo Gladwell, who consigns her on behalf of breeder Vegso Racing Stable. "She's a typical Nyquist," Gladwell...

Is the Triple Crown losing its relevance? On this week's TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland, Bill Finley, Randy Moss and Zoe Cadman dive into the state of the series and how it might be fixed. While the team agrees that the upcoming GI Preakness Stakes may offer some excellent betting opportunities, they discussed why the field is lacking "star quality." Donna Barton Brothers joins the crew as this week's Gainesway Guest of the Week. The jockey-turned-racing analyst is currently on her farewell tour of the Triple Crown. Saturday's Preakness...

John Oxley's Silent Tactic (Tacitus) will not be entered for Saturday's second leg of the Triple Crown, the GI Preakness S., Daily Racing Form reported Monday morning. The bay colt, never worse than second in his six career starts to date, upset the GIII Southwest Stakes at 12-1 in early February and filled the runner-up spot in the GII Rebel Stakes and GI Arkansas Derby to cement a berth in the field for the GI Kentucky Derby. A 20-1 chance on the morning line for the 'Run for the Roses',...

Pretty Boy Miah (Beau Liam) moved into the 14th and final spot in the GI Preakness Stakes field Sunday following the defections of Express Kid (Bodexpress) and Smoovin Saturday (I'll Have Another). The gelding has won his last two starts in wire-to-wire fashion since trainer Jeremiah Englehart added blinkers for a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race Mar. 29 at Aqueduct. He added a one-mile starter optional claiming win at that oval Apr. 25. "These races come around just once a year and you only have one chance in a...

Chip Honcho (Connect) had his final major tune-up for the May 16 GI Preakness Stakes when he worked four furlongs in :50.20 (39/47) at Churchill Downs Sunday. Exercise rider Luiyi Ortiz was aboard for the work, which was one of trainer Steve Asmussen's typical easy half-mile moves the week of a race. Chip Honcho's big work came May 2, when he worked five furlongs in 1:00.00 (1/14). "I think we're in a very good place with him right now," said Asmussen, who won the Preakness in 2007 with Curlin and...

Stablemates Iron Honor (Nyquist) and Ottinho (Quality Road) worked four furlongs in :48.00 (10/184) in company over the Belmont Park dirt training track Saturday. The former is expected to line up in the May 16 GI Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park and the latter remains possible for the June 6 GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Iron Honor, owned by St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence, and Glassman Racing, won the Feb. 28 GIII Gotham Stakes and was most recently a troubled seventh in the Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial....

With a healthy GI Kentucky Derby winner bypassing the GI Preakness Stakes for the second straight year and only two starters out of the 18-horse Derby likely to be entered on Monday, the long-debated realignment of the Triple Crown race spacing is edging more toward "when" than "if." It could happen as soon as 2027, which would be appropriate in the sense that the Triple Crown is already set for a major reset by reverting to established venues and distances after being in flux since 2024 because of the overlapping...