Preakness Stakes awaits a possible winner on May 21st and a larger audience than the Kentucky Derby
The Preakness Stakes is set to take place on May 21st, 2011. The 136th running of the Preakness Stakes has fourteen horses competing in it. Animal Kingdom will be heading to Maryland on Tuesday to start preparing for the1-3/16 mile
Preakness Stakes.
The horse that proved his pedigree wrong as a turf horse, Animal Kingdom, is expected to make a show of brilliance at the Preakness Stakes.
Animal Kingdom won the Kentucky Derby in a finishing time of 2:0204. His reins were held by jockey, John Velazquez.
The horse will also be making an attempt in the slightly shorter Preakness Stakes with John Velazquez possibly taking the mount. The race entertains 14 starters.
His trainer, Graham Motion, said that the colt came out of the Derby in good form and will now be focusing on the Preakness Stakes. The 3-year-old owned by Team Valor International is said to face immense competition in the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Barry Irwin oversees the Team Valor Partnership. Irwin commented on Animal Kingdom’s participation in the Preakness Stakes, saying, “But breeders are very picky, sceptical people and he doesn't have a fashionable pedigree. So he's got to become a phenomenal
racehorse in order to become worth a whole lot of money. If he won the Triple Crown, then there'd be no question. But if he wins just the Preakness, would that make him an automatic hit as a stallion? I don't know”.
He may have second thoughts about his participation in the Preakness Stakes but he is surely optimistic about sending the colt to Belmont Stakes.
The Kentucky Derby star performed as per the audience’s expectations such that he overcame the long odds in a wide open field and paid well by winning the race. This was the horse’s first race on dirt.
The Derby winner is likely to face challenge from the fourth place finisher, Shackleford. Six other Derby winners include the runner-up, Nehro, and third place holder, Mucho Macho Man.
Dialed In who stood eighteenth will also be making an appearance at the Preakness Stakes. His wins in the Holy Bull Stakes (2011) and the Florida Derby (2011) made him eligible for an entrance in the MI Developments’ new ‘Preakness 5.5’ bonus program.
The attendance of the Preakness Stakes is considered to be second highest in the whole of North America. It tops the turnout of all other stake races including the Breeder’s Cup.
The Kentucky Derby witnessed a record crowd turnout of $164,858 spectators. Accordingly, a huge turnout is anticipated for the Preakness Stakes as well.
With fingers crossed, we look up to the Preakness Stakes to see which horse pulls off an upset this time. The winner’s share of the total win in the Preakness Stakes is $600,000.
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