Optimism flows from Preakness Stakes backstretch with potential history in the wings

UPI

16-05-2025

Trainer Jamie Osborne and his 23-year-old daughter team up on Heart of Honor, the UAE Derby runner-up who is challenging Americans in Saturday's Preakness Stakes. Photo by Liesl King, courtesy of Dubai Racing Club
May 16 (UPI) -- Saturday is Preakness Day, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, with leadership of the 3-year-old division on the line even in the absence of Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty.
While American focus is on Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, there's lots going on around the world, too. The Victoria Mile in Japan, an interesting race in and of itself, is a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. And Coolmore's "Classics Express" has hit a speed bump in England
Let's get bumping along with ...
The Triple Crown
The Pimlico Race Course backstretch exudes optimism as Saturday's Preakness Stakes, middle jewel of the U.S. Triple Crown, draws near. Without Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty, who awaits the Belmont Stakes, the favorite's role devolves to Journalism, who finished a somewhat hard-luck second at Churchill Downs. Trainer Michael McCarthy said Thursday every indication is positive.
"I have a lot of confidence in my horse," McCarthy said. "He's coming back in two weeks. Sometimes with good horses, it's a lot harder to tell when they're not on top of their game, because they can handle it. They handle these things so easily. We'll see on Saturday, but my gut tells me we're in for good things."
A win would put Journalism level with Sovereignty among 3-year-olds, albeit with a lot of racing yet to come.
Trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the Preakness eight times, has seen his 3-year-old ranks steadily depleted this year and is represented Saturday only by third-time starter Goal Oriented.
"We have come here with the goods and we have come here not with the goods," Baffert said of the Preakness. "He [Goal Oriented] has handled everything we have thrown at him. He is a big, strong horse. This is a tough group. The break is going to be so important for him."
While Baffert seeks to extend his Preakness wins record, trainer D. Wayne Lukas will be seeking a tie with Baffert. The 89-year-old will saddle American Promise, a long shot, in search of his eighth win.
While either of those two could make history, an historic note of another kind could be struck if UAE Derby runner-up Heart of Honor should win. The colt is trained by Jamie Osborne and ridden by his 23-year-old daughter, Saffie Osborne.
"People have said, 'You're coming to America. Why don't you use somebody who has experience at the track, more experience than her on dirt?'" the elder Osborne said, according to Pimlico media representatives. "'But for us, that's not an option. ... She's part of the team. So for us, there was never a consideration to let anyone else ride him. She knows the horse."
On the Preakness undercard, the $100,000 Spendthrift Farm Sir Barton Stakes attracts 3-year-olds not quite suited, at least yet, for the top level. That's pretty obvious as the favorites, Crudo and Invictus, are making just their third career starts while both exit maiden wins.
The Oaks
It was tough for the oddsmaker to get a handle on Friday's $300,000 Grade II George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico. The morning-line favorite at 5-2 is Runnin N Gunnin, whose big score was a win in the Sunland Park Oaks in New Mexico.
Classic
Pyrenees enters Friday's $250,000 Grade III Pimlico Special as favorite in his first race since a seventh-place finish in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic.
Before that, the 5-year-old son of Into Mischief won this race last year and finished second in the Grade I Stephen Foster and the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup.
The oddsmaker says the Brad Cox-trained Star of Wonder, winner of four of five starts, is the main opposition. But he's stepping up in class.
Distaff
In her last four starts, Candied has finished second in the Grade I Alabama, third in the Grade I Spinster, third in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Distaff and third in the Grade III Doubledogdare at Keeneland. Her rivals in Friday's $125,000 Allaire du Pont Distaff at Pimlico don't quite match up to those fields so it's no wonder she's the morning-line favorite.
Sprint
A busy weekend with Saturday's $150,000 Chick Lang and $150,000 Grade III Maryland Sprint for 3-year-olds, both at Pimlico, and Sunday's $100,000 (Canadian) King Corrie on the Woodbine all-weather.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Busy here, too, with Friday's $150,000 Grade III Miss Preakness for 3-year-old fillies and Saturday's $125,000 Skipat for older distaffers, both at Pimlico, and Saturday's $100,000 (Canadian) Ruling Angel for 3-year-old fillies on the Woodbine all-weather.
Turf
Trilari is the morning-line pick among 13 entered for Saturday's $250,000 Grade III Dinner Party at Pimlico. Three-year-olds go in Saturday's $100,000, 1-mile James W. Murphy at Pimlico.
Filly & Mare Turf
On tap: Friday's $125,000 Hilltop for 3-year-old fillies and Saturday's $150,000 Grade III Gallorette, both at Pimlico, and Sunday's $100,000 Grade III Honeymoon at Santa Anita.
Turf Sprint
Friday's $100,000 The Very One for fillies and mares and Saturday's $125,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico. Saturday's $100,000 Mizdirection for fillies and mares down the Santa Anita hillside course.
Around the world, around the clock
England
The Derby wagering took a left turn without signal Thursday as Pride of Arras stormed to a comprehensive victory over better-fancied rivals in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York.
It was just the second career start for the New Bay colt, trained by Ralph Beckett, after his first-out victory Aug. 8 at Sandown. Beckett and jockey Rossa Ryan were thrilled with the performance, especially as Pride of Arras had to wait for room in the stretch and essentially forced his way through between rivals to see daylight.
The vanquished included the previous antepost favorite for the Derby, The Lion in Winter, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore. He also was the heavy favorite in the Dante, but finished fifth, ceding the Derby favorite's role to his Ballydoyle stablemate, Delacroix.
On Wednesday at York, O'Brien, the Coolmore "lads" and jockey Ryan Moore landed the Musadora Stakes for 3-year-old fillies with Whirl.
Despite Thursday's outcome, it's been a glorious two weeks for O'Brien with victories in the Ballysax Stakes with Delacroix, Sandown Classic Trial with Swagman, Cheshire Oaks with Minnie Hauk, Chester Vase with Lambourn, Dee Stakes with Mount Kilimanjaro, Lingfield Oaks Trial with Giselle, Lingfield Derby Trial with Puppetmaster, Naas Oaks Trial with Garden of Eden, Leopardstown Derby Trial with Delacroix and the Musidora with Whirl.
It will be a tougher go Friday at York as O'Brien's Continuous and three others square off with Godolphin globetrotting hero Rebel's Romance in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup.
Saturday's Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury got a field of eight with Rosallion as the early favorite. The 4-year-old Blue Point colt has not raced since June 18, when he recorded a stirring victory over Henry Longfellow in a very high-class renewal of the Group 1 St James's Palace a Royal Ascot.
Japan
Sunday's Grade 1 Victoria Mile for fillies and mares at Tokyo Racecourse, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, could be seen as a showdown between Ascoli Piceno and Stellenbosch.
Their rivalry goes back to their 2-year-old season, when Ascoli Piceno defeated Stellenbosch by a neck in the Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. Stellenbosch then turned the tables in the Grade 1 Oka Sho or Japanese 1,000 Guineas.
Ascoli Piceno started the 2025 season with a victory in the Group 2 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia. Stellenbosch tossed in a dud in her season opener, finishing 13th in the Grade 1 Osaka Hai.
Germany
Vertical Blue from France and Eternal Elixir from England take on the locals in Sunday's Group 2 German 2,000 Guineas in Cologne.