Preakness Stakes 2014 - Get Your Preak On

11.18 Pilmico 

Preakness Stakes (Grade 1) (3yo) (Dirt) (3yo)

Winner: £542,169 Runners: 10 Distance: 1m1f110y Going: Fast

Advice: 3 pts win California Chrome (4/6 general)

Dynamic Impact: Winner of maiden special weight after 5 tries without success going a mile at Oakland and then nosed out Bob Baffert’s Midnight Hawk in Illinois Derby; To give an example of just where that form is, Midnight Hawk was beaten nearly eight lengths by California Chrome earlier this season; This likely to be too much.

General A Rod: Racing freely had cost him earlier in the season on the Flordia circuit, notably when third in the Florida Derby, but could never get into the Kentucky Derby shakeup and no obvious reason for things to change today even if he wasn’t in the best spot early.

California Chrome: Has had a spectacular 3yo campaign, trashing all comers on the West Coast, as impressive in San Felipe as he was in the Santa Anita Derby, and after being all the rage for Kentucky, was just as impressive in dismissing the best of the country’s 3yo colts in style (eased late); Everything dropped well for him there but can’t ignore his superiority that day and if anything, Pimlico today will suit more; Some niggles over him midweek with coughing but looks a class apart.

Ring Weekend: Attempting to become the eighth gelding to win the Preakness, and the first since Funny Cide in 2003; knocked out of Derby with a fever, having previously been very impressive in Tampa Bay Derby; Limp run last time out in Calder equivalent makes him hard to trust properly.

Bayern: Clearly a real talent but setting a steady pace didn’t see him home when Danza flew past him and Ride On Curlin got past him in the Arkansas Derby; Given the Derby trial at Curchill Downs but worry that he’s going to be pressured into running too fast too early latest.

Ria Antonia: Picked up the pieces and then got given the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile fillies but well behind the best of 3yo fillies generation based on two wide margin defeats to Untapable and reliant on leaders going far too quick; That not impossible but someone else will likely pick up the pieces.

Kid Cruz: This a big step up in class but quite impressive in the Private Terms Stakes and the Federico Tesio stakes latest over the course and distance, both times using deeply impressive turn of foot off strong early pace; He will get that for sure today so big run no surprise although he has to prove he’s upto it.

Social Inclusion: Looked very special in Gulfstream wins over 6f and 9f but no answer to the withering run of Wicked Strong in Wood Memorial; That form held up very well in Kentucky Derby although both winner and runner up (Samraatt) well held; That said he’s an obvious form chance today.

Pablo Del Monte: Non runner in the Derby (was an outsider at the time); Hard to rate much of his dirt form highly and needs more today; Best run on Keenland’s Polytrack last time out.

Ride On Curlin: Third behind Hoppertunity – trashed by California Chrome - in the Rebel Stakes before coming a distant second to Danza; Better than finishing position suggested in the Derby, getting no run out of the straight after dropping in from wide draw; Can go well here although reversing form with the winner different matter.

VERDICT: This second leg of the Triple Crown is CALIFORNIA CHROME’S for the taking, the Derby winner having justified favouritism in emphatic style at Kentucky, and this speed test should suit Art Sherman’s horse even more with early speed not an unduly worrying factor as we drop back a sixteenth here around the notoriously. Social Inclusion is an understandable second favourite, but Ride On Curlin, who got no run in the Kentucky Derby stretch, and Kid Cruz, will both be suited by what should be a very hot pace today, unlike the one two weeks ago.