Wilted Roses But Blooming Susans

 

Wilted Roses But Blooming Susans

Joseph Di Rienzi

For most of its history, the Preakness Stakes has been contested subsequent to the Kentucky Derby. Even in this tumultuous year, the 145^th renewal will be contested four weeks (instead of the typical two) after the Derby. Most logics would conclude that a good performance in the Kentucky Derby would be a key to winning the Preakness Stakes. However, history can demonstrate that an out of the money performance (worse than third place) in the Derby does not preclude a Preakness victory. Indeed, in the last decade (2010 – 2019), four horses that finished out of the top three on the first Saturday in May carried a blanket of black-eyed Susans (actually dyed daisies) in the Pimlico Racetrack’s winner’s circle. Here I will look briefly at each of these horses’ turn in fortune from the first to the second jewel in the Triple Crown.

Lookin At Lucky advanced toward the 2010 classics with sterling credentials. He was voted the 2009 Eclipse Award for Champion Two-Year-Old Male despite a tough luck loss in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman and trained by Bob Baffert, the handsome son of Smart Strike had two prep races prior to the Kentucky Derby. He scored a narrow victory in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas and then was a troubled third in the Santa Anita Derby.

Favored for the Kentucky Derby despite drawing the dreaded no. 1 post position, Lookin At Lucky ran to Bob Baffert’s worst fears by being crowded right after the start. Then he was impeded shortly after, forcing his jockey Garrett Gomez to take him near the rear of the field. Lookin At Lucky was able to close some ground in the stretch, but the best he could finish was sixth beaten a total of 7 lengths to Derby winning Super Saver.

Two weeks later in Baltimore, the Preakness Stakes had Super Saver, Lookin At Lucky, and other Derby participants Paddy O’Prado, Dublin and Jackson Bend in the 12 horse field. Bob Baffert replaced top flight rider Garrett Gomez with young Martin Garcia, believing Gomez and Lookin At Lucky were not a good team. At post time, favoritism went to Super Saver over Lookin At Lucky.

The Preakness was an exciting race with First Dude setting a rapid pace followed by Super Saver. Lookin At Lucky was in mid-pack, but in the clear and, for a change, out of trouble. Around the far turn, Caracortado, Lookin At Lucky and Jackson Bend all went up to challenge First Dude as Super Saver could not keep pace. At the top of the stretch, the outcome was very much in doubt, but Lookin At Lucky showing his championship class prevailed by a ½ length over a tenacious First Dude, who in turn was a head in front of Jackson Bend for the place award. Super Saver faded in the stretch to finish eighth.

Lookin At Lucky winning the 2010 Preakness Stakes
(nytimes.com)

This was Bob Baffert’s fifth Preakness victory (he now has two more) and the second for part-owner Mike Pegram having won it with Real Quiet in 1998. This victory was especially sweet for Lookin At Lucky’s connections in that they had come to believe that, notwithstanding his name, the son of Smart Strike had been the victim of repeated bad fortune in such races as the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile, Santa Anita Derby and Kentucky Derby.

After his Preakness victory, Lookin At Lucky bypassed the Belmont Stakes but in the summer won the Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park. Despite ending his racing career with a fourth place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Lookin At Lucky was voted the 2010 Eclipse Champion Three-Year-Old Male. He has become a fairly successful stallion since standing at Ashford Farm in Versailles, KY.

Unlike Lookin At Lucky, Shackleford’s rise to Preakness glory was, by in large, unanticipated. Bred and owned by Michael Lauffer and William Cubbedge, the bright chestnut with a broad blaze down his face was trained throughout his racing career by enterprising Dale Romans. Pretty much unknown until he nearly won the Florida Derby (at odds of 68-1) losing by a head to Dialed In, the son of Forestry came into the 2011 Kentucky Derby with just two wins in five starts. Sent off at 23-1 odds, Shackleford gave his backers a thrill as he led the field from the start to the last furlong when he was overtaken by Animal Kingdom, Nehro and Mucho Macho Man. Finishing fourth, he was beaten a total of only 4 lengths.

Two weeks later a full field of fourteen were loaded into the gate for the 136^th Preakness Stakes. Off his Kentucky Derby victory, Animal Kingdom was the solid favorite. Bettors made Dialed In (the Kentucky Derby favorite) the second choice, giving him another chance off his subpar Derby effort in which he finished eighth. Mucho Macho Man was third in the wagering with Shackleford a generous 12-1 chance.

Over a fast but laboring Pimlico surface, Shackleford, under regular jockey Jesus Castanon, sat second forcing a fast early pace just behind speedy Flashpoint. Animal Kingdom broke slowly and was taken back to 13^th with only Dialed In behind him. Flashpoint and Shackleford were first and second until midway around the far turn when the latter asserted himself establishing a clear lead. Astrology made a menacing move along the rail to challenge at the top of the stretch which Shackleford repelled. Animal Kingdom began his rally around the far turn swinging wide. The Derby winner was rolling, but he had a lot of ground to make up. As Animal Kingdom closed in, Shackleford grimly held the lead despite drifting first left and then right. At the finish, Shackleford was ½ length ahead of a dirt encrusted Animal Kingdom who was 1¼ lengths in front of Astrology. Dialed In’s belated rally gained him fourth place.

Shackleford winning the 2011 Preakness Stakes
(nytimes.com)

The Preakness winner’s circle contained an inordinate number of Kentuckians as owners Michael Lauffer and William Cubbedge, and trainer Dale Romans hailed from the Commonwealth. Indeed, Romans, a Louisville native, was instrumental in directing fellow trainer Graham Motion to the Churchill Downs’ winner’s circle after Animal Kingdom’s Kentucky Derby victory. Romans’ previous biggest triumph was his trainee Roses in May’s Dubai World Cup victory in 2005, but for jockey Jesus Castanon, this was his first winning ride on a national stage.

Shackleford, a robust individual, would be a fixture in major races for the next two years. He would finish fifth in the Belmont Stakes, but as a four-year-old, he would win such traditional fixtures as the Metropolitan and Clark Handicaps. Originally retired to stud at the end of 2012 to Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky, Shackleford was sent to South Korea in 2020.

In 2011 Brad Kelley had purchased a racy looking yearling son of Awesome Again that he named Oxbow. Turned over to Triple Crown icon D. Wayne Lukas to train, Oxbow had a modest juvenile season in 2012 winning just a maiden race in five starts. He began 2013 with an 11½ length victory in the LeComte Stakes at the Fair Grounds. Finishing a close fourth in his next start, the Risen Star Stakes, Oxbow then ran in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park and was beaten a head by another Lukas trainee Will Take Charge. Oxbow than completed his Kentucky Derby preparation with a fifth place finish in the Arkansas Derby. In this race, he was ridden by Gary Stevens who was in the midst of a comeback having retired eight years earlier.

Sent off at odds 24-1 in the Kentucky Derby, Oxbow ran a creditable race in challenging for the lead around the far turn only to tire in the stretch. He finished sixth to victorious Orb, beaten a little less than 10 lengths. In the Preakness, Orb ruled the strong favorite with the horses who finished second through fourth in the Kentucky Derby absent, but returning to contest the middle jewel were the Wayne Lukas pair – Oxbow (sent off at odds 15-1) and Will Take Charge, as well as Mylute, Itsmyluckyday and Goldencents.

Gary Stevens sensing a speed favoring Pimlico surface coaxed Oxbow to the lead. Goldencents, the expected pacesetter was taken back, and Oxbow was allowed to set uncontested moderate fractions. Orb, who broke from the rail, was closer than usual down the backstretch but lost position when horses came to his outside. Shuffled back on the far turn, he failed to mount a serious threat. In the stretch, Oxbow, maintained a clear lead as challenges came from Itsmyluckyday and Mylute. At the finish, Oxbow was 1¾ lengths in front with Itsmyluckyday besting Mylute for second by a ½ length. Orb finished fourth another 6¾ lengths behind.
   

Oxbow winning the 2013 Preakness Stakes
(foxnews.com)

The winning owner, Brad Kelley, had bought the property in which the legendary Calumet Farm once stood in 2012. His silks (black and gold) are different from the famed devil’s red and blue that were carried by so many of the sport’s fabled runners. Wayne Lukas, 77 years-old at the time, was celebrating his sixth Preakness victory and 50 year-old Gary Stevens his third. 

Three weeks later, Oxbow finished second (beaten 3¼ lengths) to Palace Malice with Orb third in the Belmont Stakes. At this point, on the basis of the Triple Crown races, it could be argued that Oxbow was the most consistent horse in his sophomore class. Unfortunately, the son of Awesome Again only ran once more (in the Haskell Invitational Stakes) finishing fourth. Suffering an ankle injury in the race, Oxbow was retired later in the year and currently stands stud at Calumet Farm in Lexington, KY.

War of Will is a striking dark bay son of War Front with a blaze and four white stocking feet from a mare by European super stallion Sadler’s Wells. Purchased in France as a juvenile in 2018 by an agent acting for trainer Mark Casse who in turn offered the horse to major client Gary Barber. With War Front as a sire and a strong European female line, War Front began his racing career in 2018 on the turf. Winless in his first four outings, he nonetheless finished second in the Summer Stakes and fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. War of Will concluded his juvenile campaign breaking his maiden on a sloppy Churchill Downs dirt surface in November. 

Starting 2019 at the Fair Grounds, War of Will stylishly won both the LeComte and Risen Star Stakes. Favored at odds-on to continue his domination of the three-year-old races in New Orleans, he lost his action right after the start of the Louisiana Derby and finished ninth. Despite this setback, Mark Casse was optimistic War of Will would be fit to race in the Kentucky Derby.

The 2019 Derby will be remembered long in Kentucky Derby folklore. (See “Recent Longshot Winners of the Kentucky Derby”.)  In short, as jockey Tyler Gaffalione guided War of Will off the rail to the outside of leader Maximum Security around the final turn, the latter did not corner the turn well, forcing the former wide. After losing his balance, War of Will faded in the stretch to finish in eighth place. At the finish, Maximum Security was 1¾ lengths in front of Country House who was ¾ of a length ahead of Code of Honor. After a jockey’s inquiry, the Churchill Downs’ stewards disqualified Maximum Security placing him 17^th and declared Country House the Derby winner.

In the aftermath of the Kentucky Derby, Country House never raced again after a series of ailments and injuries, and the connections of Maximum Security were so upset over his disqualification they ruled him out of the other classics, seemingly from spite.

Of the Derby contestants, Improbable who finished officially fourth, Everfast (fifth), War of Will (seventh), Win (ninth) and Bodexpress (13^th) forged on to contest the Preakness Stakes. They were joined by eight others in a less than stellar edition of this classic. The betting public installed Improbable as the favorite. War of Will, “a victim” of Maximum Security’s Derby misdeeds, was sent off at 6-1 odds.

At the start, Bodexpress reared up unseating John Velazquez and ran as a loose horse the entire race. Warrior’s Charge assumed the early lead followed by Market King and Anothertwistafate. War of Will, breaking from the no. 1 post (same as he did in the Derby), was placed by Tyler Gaffalione on the inside right behind the leading trio. With almost the identical trip he had in the Kentucky Derby at this point around the far turn, Gaffalione waited until the top of the stretch when this time he guided his mount through the inside to challenge. Gaining the advantage, War of Will forged to the front and held off the late closers. At the finish, he was 1¼ lengths in front of Everfast who held second by a nose over Owendale. Improbable, after being fractious before the break, raced in mid-pack without offering a consequential rally and finished sixth.

War of Will winning the 2019 Preakness Stakes
(nytimes.com)

In the winner’s circle, there was a feeling of vindication from the connections of War of Will. Prior to the Preakness, owner Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse had traded verbal barbs with Gary West, co-owner of Maximum Security, in terms of the interference they believed compromised their horse’s chances in the Derby. This victory by the son of War Front, justified in their minds the disqualification. At age 24, Tyler Gaffalione, celebrated his first classic victory with the expectations this would not be his last.

After his Preakness triumph, War of Will went on a losing streak that included a ninth place finish in the Belmont Stakes. He returned to the winner’s circle with a narrow win in this year’s Makers’ Mile Stakes at Keeneland Racecourse. With this victory on the turf, War of Will becomes one of those rare performers who have scored major victories on both conventional dirt and grass. He continues to race in 2020 but will take up stud duties at Claiborne Farm in Versailles, KY in 2021.

So we see that it is possible to rebound from Kentucky Derby disappointment to Preakness glory. When this year’s Preakness is renewed on October 3, it may be prudent to pay attention to those who failed to make it in the top three on Derby Day. One of them just might garner the black-eyed Susans.