Every year following the Kentucky Derby, so-called ‘new shooters’ join the Triple Crown series at the Preakness to take on the Derby champion. Here’s a look at this year’s challengers.
Following on the heels of Nyquist's decisive victory in the Kentucky Derby, runner up Exaggerator and ninth-place Lani have been declared for the Preakness Stakes. With an expected field of 10-11 colts making a run at the second leg of the Triple Crown, that means the bulk of the field will be coming from elsewhere to challenge Nyquist. At the top of that list is a real wild card in the form of Stradivari. At first glance he's a no-hoper, with only three lifetime starts to his credit, the most recent a win at the allowance level at Keeneland. But a closer look reveals that he won that race going 1 1/8 miles in a time of 1:48.64, slightly faster than Nyquist ran in his final Derby prep in the Florida Derby, and a full second faster than Exaggerator took his final prep at Santa Anita, both at the same distance. The question is if he can carry that speed through the longer Preakness.
Two others in the mix for the Preakness are Cherry Wine and Laoban, the two colts who sat on the also eligibles list for the Derby, waiting to see if there would be a late week scratch. Not making the Derby gate, they'll both take a shot at the Preakness. Of those, Cherry Wine perhaps stands the better chance, having finished third in the Blue Grass Stakes and fourth in the Rebel. He'll be coming from off the pace, while Loaban is a front running speedster, who will have to go gate-to-wire, all while Nyquist likely looms off his shoulder waiting to pounce
Royal Ascot is one of the greatest race meets in the world, and there is no race as historic or exciting during the meet than the Gold Cup (G1)! First run in 1807, it is one of the premier races for stayers in the world. The two-and-a-half-mile turf race offers a rich £500,000 purse, and it drew ten of the world’s best long-distance horses.
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes is one of the most important races of the Royal Ascot meeting! With a £1 million purse, the race is one of the richest of the entire week, and it also offers its winner a guaranteed berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
The 2022 Belmont Stakes, which will be run on Saturday, June 11, drew an exciting field of eight to compete for $1.5 million and a place in horse racing immortality. Several familiar New York horses will line up for the race, including Wood Memorial (G2) winner Mo Donegal and Peter Pan (G3) winner We the People.
The best horses in the older dirt male division line up for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup on Saturday, January 29 at Gulfstream Park! The race is at a mile and an eighth on the main track, an intermediate distance that draws both Classic runners and milers alike. Nine horses have passed the entry box, and are ready for a thrilling renewal of the winter’s biggest race!
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