With the May 17 announcement that Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Gun Runner will not compete in the Preakness Stakes May 21 at Pimlico, Nyquists path to winning the second jewel of the Triple Crown got considerably less difficult.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Gun Runner was reported to be doing well physically, but the connections opted to rest their start colt to focus on the lucrative summer schedule of three year-old stakes races that notably includes the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga as well as the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park. Gun Runner won the Grade 2 Risen Star and Grade 2 Louisiana Derby this spring at Fair Grounds and factored prominently as a Preakness contender.
In the absence of Gun Runner, the matchup between Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and runner-up Exaggerator is likely to garner even more attention as the pair will square off for the fifth time in their careers. The unbeaten Nyquist has defeated Exaggerator four times at three different race tracks and four different distances. With rain in the Baltimore forecast for the Preakness, Exaggerator backers could be hoping that a wet surface moves the colt up enough to finally defeat his primary rival.
Both Nyquist and Exaggerator have arrived at Pimlico to acclimate to the racing surface and new surroundings. Nyquist would be the third straight Kentucky Derby winner to also take the Preakness following California Chrome in 2014 and American Pharoah last year.
The 2023 Preakness Stakes is coming up Saturday, May 20 at Pimlico! It is one of the most eagerly-awaited events of the racing year, and this is the place to […]
The Preakness Stakes is coming up on Saturday, May 15, 2021. The second jewel of the American Triple Crown drew a field of 10 top three-year-olds. Find out the top contenders in the race, and learn the best places to place your bets!
After all the drama of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, the racing scene shifts to Pimlico Race Course in anticipation of the running of the 2019 Preakness Stakes. A couple of the high-profile contenders from the Derby are expected in the field, as well as a number of new shooters that add to the handicapping puzzle and could provide good betting value.
The field has been established for the 2016 running of the Belmont Stakes and of the thirteen contenders, there are four horses who competed in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and are moving on to the third jewel of the Triple Crown.
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