7:15 PM EST - Folks, it has been a wonderful day of racing and it was capped off by California Chrome winning the Preakness Stakes. Here at VAVEL USA, we will be here for the next 3 weeks keeping you up to date on the Triple Crown and Belmont Stakes news. Thank you for following us live as Preakness Day unfolded!! Thank you again and take care.
7:08 PM EST - A crowd of at least 100,000 can be expected at Belmont Park for the Belmont Stakes. It wouldn't be a surprise to see closer to 120,000. The largest Belmont attendance was in 2004 when 120,139 showed up to see Smarty Jones try to obtain the Triple Crown. He fell short that day by a length to Birdstone.
7:06 PM EST - For those wondering, the current forecast for Elmont, New York on June 7 where the Belmont Stakes will be run: 73 degrees and mostly cloudy. That will surely change a dozen times between now and June 7.
7:03 PM EST - The final running time of the 139th Preakness Stakes was 1:54.84
6:56 PM EST - Expect California Chrome to have odds between 1-5 and 1-2 in the Belmont.
6:53 PM EST - Nevertheless, horse racing will have yet another try at ending this incredible Triple Crown drought.
6:46 PM EST - Please do not underestimate how difficult the Triple Crown is to win. The 12 furlongs is beyond the scope of many horses' capabilities.
6:44 PM EST - The official winning margin by California Chrome was 1 1/2 lengths.
6:42 PM EST - The official order of finish was #3 California Chrome, #10 Ride on Curlin, #8 Social Inclusion, #2 General a Rod, #4 Ring Weekend, #9 Pablo Del Monte, #1 Dynamic Impact, #7 Kid Cruz, #5 Bayern, and #6 Ria Antonia.
6:38 PM EST - The Belmont Stakes will be 1 1/2 miles (12 Furlongs) on the main track. Be sure to VAVEL USA for all the latest news regarding the Belmont Stakes.
6:35 PM EST - The Belmont Stakes will take place on June 7 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
6:30 PM EST - Two thirds of the Triple Crowns is in the books. For the 13th time since the last Triple Crown winner in 1978 (Affirmed), a horse has won the first two legs. None of the previous 12 horses has won the Belmont Stakes.
6:28 PM EST - Here are the payouts for the 139th Preakness Stakes:
6:26 PM EST - It was another great trip for California Chrome and once again he lasted to the wire.
6:24 PM EST - California Chrome has won the Preakness!!
6:18 PM EST - They are circling around behind the gate. About to load for Preakness.
6:15 PM EST - Just a few minutes until scheduled post time. Probably closer to 5 minutes to gain complete viewership and extra money through the betting windows.
6:06 PM EST - The command for Riders up has been given. About 12 minutes to post time.
6:02 PM EST - #7 Kid Cruz is taking a lot of action. Not surprising considering many people believe he has a high cieling. In addition, the pace of the race might be fast enough for him to pick up the pieces.
5:58 PM EST - Not much variation in the odds is expected between now post time. On paper, California Chrome looks the best with only Social Inclusion having a realistic chance of upsetting the Derby Winner.
5:48 PM EST - Post time is at 6:18 PM. No scratches in the Preakness and all eyes will be on California Chrome.
5:40 PM EST - The next race is the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes!! #3 California Chrome is currently 3/5 with #8 Social Inclusion at 6 to 1.
5:35 PM EST - Here are the prices for the 11th Race, the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes:
5:31 PM EST - We finally got another double digit winner. This time it was #9 Utley at 7-1 who got up to win the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes.
5:27 PM EST - Loading for the Dixie Stakes.
5:15 PM EST - #8 Up With The Birds is the current favorite at 5/2. There has been a lot of Twitter Chatter about this horse so the low price is no surprise. #3 Charming Kitten is 3-1, and #6 Hey Leroy is 7/2.
4:57 PM EST - Race #11 is the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes at 1 1/16 Miles on Turf. The turf course is still listed as GOOD. No scratches in the field of ten. Post time is 5:27 PM.
4:54 PM EST - Payouts for the Sir Barton Stakes (Race 10):
4:49 PM EST - Stop me if you heard this one before. Another favorite wins at Pimlico. #10 Class Leader gets up in time over #3 Life In Shambles.
4:45 PM EST - They are loading for the Sir Barton Stakes. #10 Class Leader is still taking the money at 9/5.
4:27 PM EST - #10 Class Leader is the favorite at 5/2 with 17 minutes to post. #3 Life In Shambles is 3-1, #2 Six Spot is 9/2, and #5 Master Lightning is 5-1.
4:18 PM EST - Race 10 is the Sir Barton stakes for 3 year olds. The field of eight will be going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. #8 Ground Control, #9 Allstar, and #11 Charge Now are scratched. Post time is at 4:45 PM.
4:14 PM EST - Payouts for Race 9 at Pimlico:
4:11 PM EST - The parade of favorites and low prices horses continues at Pimlico. Only one horse (Meadwood in Race 7) has paid more than $10.
4:08 PM EST - #3 Somali Lemonade set quick fractions and held on over #10 Watsdachances (IRE)
4:04 PM EST - Just about ready to start loading into the gate for the Gallorette. #3 Somali Lemonade is 3/2 and #10 Watsdachances (IRE) is 9/5.
3:55 PM EST - There is not a lot of speed in this race, which should help keep this field compact. #3 Somali Lemonade benefits the most if she can get away with slow fractions on the lead.
3:46 PM EST - Still 22 minutes to post. #3 Somali Lemonade and #10 Watsdachances (IRE) are both 8-5.
3:42 PM EST - Race #9 is the Grade 3 Gallorette Handicap for Fillies and Mares 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on the Turf Course. The turf is still listed as GOOD. #1 Surtsey, #4 Brenda's Way, and #7 Strathnaver (GB) are scratched. Post time is at 4:04 PM.
3:27 PM EST - Here are the payouts from the James W Murphy Stakes:
3:22 PM EST - #4 Wallyanna pulls away in the stretch to win the James W Murphy Stakes with ease. #8 Open The Bank was 2nd and #6 Thunder Strike (GB) got up to be 3rd.
3:18 PM EST - Post time for the JW Murphy Stakes. #1 Special Envoy is the 2-1 favorite and will be coming off the pace in this race. Let's see if he gets a fast enough pace here.
3:09 PM EST - #1 Special Envoy and #6 Thunder Strike (GB) are both at 5/2 vying for favoritism.
3:00 PM EST - Still 18 minutes to post time for the 7th race at Pimlico. One of the negatives on the big days of racing is the enourmous amount of time between races. Preakness day features long post times, but not nearly as bad as Derby day featured two weeks ago.
2:52 PM EST - Early wagering for the JW Murphy Stakes has #1 Special Envoy as the 2-1 favorite. #6 Thunder Strike (GB) is the second choice at 5/2 off an 8-1 morning line. #2 Camden Street and #4 Wallyanna are both 4-1. #3 Sonny Inspired is 6-1.
2:48 PM EST - Race #8 is the JW Murphy Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 mile on the Turf. The turf course is listed as GOOD. #5 Joint Custody, #7 Germaniac, and #9 Ground Control are scratched. Post time is 3:19 PM.
2:44 PM EST - Here are the prices for the Chick Lang Stakes (Race 7 at Pimlico):
2:40 PM EST - #5 Meadowood got a great trip to easily win the Chick Lang Stakes. #9 Brewing had easy fractions but was no match. Brewing really should have put up more resistance down the stretch.
2:30 PM EST - #9 Brewing looks like the fastest horse in this race. With the way the rail has been playing, if he gets over to the rail, this race could be over.
2:23 PM EST - #2 Extrasexyhippzster and #9 Brewing are co-favorite at 8-5. #5 Meadowood and #8 Prudhoe Bay are both co-3rd choices at 5-1.
2:09 PM EST - Race #7 is the Chick Lang Stakes for 3-year-olds. The field of 7 will be going 6 furlongs on the main track. #4 Ground Control and #7 Elevated are both scratched. Post time is at 2:35 PM.
2:06 PM EST - After another tote delay, here are the prices for Race 6:
1:56 PM EST - Yet another short priced horse as #7 Ageless got room and kicked away from the field. #10 Pefect Measure finished 2nd at 25 to 1 to add value to the exotics.
1:45 PM EST - Still 8 minutes to post. #7 Ageless is now 5/2 with #12 Sensible Lady now the second choice at 5 to 1. This is a great betting race and could have a big payoff.
1:25 PM EST - Race #6 is The Very One Stakes. #7 Ageless is the 2 to 1 favorite, but outside of her, the field is wide open. #11 Jewel of a Cat is 2nd choice at 9 to 2 off a 10 to 1 morning line.
1:21 PM EST - Race 6 will be the first turf race at Pimlico today. The Turf is listed as GOOD. Only one stratch in this race and that is #15 Joyous Music. Post time is at 1:53 PM.
1:18 PM EST - Here are the payouts for the Maryland Sprint Handicap:
1:15 PM EST - As expected, #2 Happy My Way got the lead and the rail and never looked back. He dominated the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Handicap with a final time of 1:09.21.
1:05 PM EST - #2 Happy My Way is still 3 to 5. #3 Lemon Drop Dream is now 2 to 1. 5 minutes to post.
12:51 PM EST - Some people on Twitter have noted that the rail is the place to be at Pimlico thus far today. If that is the case, then #2 Happy My Way should benefit if he gets the lead in the 5th race.
12:46 PM EST - #2 Happy My Way is the 3 to 5 favorite while #3 Lemon Drop Dream is at 3/2. #5 Service For Ten is 7 to 1, and #1 Sneaking Uponyou and #6 Action Andy are both 12-1.
12:43 PM EST - Race #5 at Pimlico is the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Handicap. #4 Salutos Amigos has been scratched. That leaves a field of five going 6 furlongs on the main track, which is listed as FAST. Post time is at 1:11 PM.
12:38 PM EST - Pimlico had a slight delay in posting the prices. Here are the payouts for Race 4:
12:32 PM EST - It is clear that #7 Majestic Hussar was ready to run today. He held of #11 Silvertonguedtommy and #9 Awesome Acreno.
12:22 PM EST - #7 Majestic Hussar is the 9 to 5 favorite and he has not raced since November 2013. Is this a prep race or will he be ready to run today?
12:09 PM EST- In Race 4, #1 I.E. Flash, #2 Kathy's Kitten, #10 Pushin' On, #12 Tuxedo Ray, #13 Hope Still Springs, #15 Just Sayin are all scratched.
12:07 PM EST - Race 4 will be 5 furlongs on the Dirt (taken OFF the turf course). Post time is at 12:30 PM.
12:04 PM EST - Here are the payouts for the 3rd race:
11:59 AM EST - #4 Romp City showed resiliance by coming back in the stretch run to win over #8 Going To Market. #9 Tom Kitten was 3rd. The favorite, #7 Prospero was nowhere to be found.
11:49 AM EST - #7 Prospero is still the favorite, but has drifted up to 3/2. #4 Romp City is 3 to 1 and #9 Tom Kitten is 7/2. The rest are at odds of 7 to 1 or higher.
11:39 AM EST - #7 Prospero is taking all the money in the 3rd race as he is 6 to 5 on the tote board. 2nd choice is #4 Romp City and third choice is #9 Tom Kitten.
11:31 AM EST - Post time for Race 3 is 11:53 AM. The field of 7 will be going 1 1/16 miles on the Main Track.
11:28 AM EST - Lots of scratches in Race 3. #1 You're The Boss (GB), #1A Redact (IRE), #3 Xmas Sky, #6 Arrive, #10 Manchurian High, #11 Soup d'Coupe, #13 Mr. Handsome, and #14 Cheyenne Nation.
11:24 AM EST - Here are the prices from Race 2:
11:21 AM EST - The wire comes in time for #5 Lunar Rock as #10 No Brakes could not get up in time. #7 Regal Warrior was 3rd.
10:57 AM EST - Race 2 is a starter handicap of $7,500 for Maryland Breds at 1 1/16 Miles on the main track. #8 Greek Thunder is scratched and post time is at 11:18 AM.
10:53 AM EST - #5 Phlash Phelps was 2nd, #4 Relentless Ride was 3rd, and #8 Margin finished 4th. Here are the payouts for the opener at Pimlico:
10:50 AM EST - #15 Magic Cash won by 6 lengths at 3 to 1. It was a tight battle for place between #5 Phlash Phelps, #8 Margin, and #4 Relentless Ride.
10:38 AM EST - Race 1 is a maiden race going 1 1/16 Miles on Dirt. Despite the 5 scratches, 11 horses will still go postward.
10:35 AM EST - First post today is in 10 minutes at 10:45 AM EST.
10:33 AM EST - Here is part 2 of scratches at Pimlico:
10:32 AM EST - Here is part 1 of the scratches for Preakness Day:
10:30 AM EST - Despite the deluge of rain yesterday morning in Baltimore, the track is Fast today and the turf is good. Please note that races 1, 3, and 4 are OFF the turf. Scratches will be posted in the next two updates.
10:27 AM EST - Good Morning and Welcome to Preakness Day!
9:36 PM EST - #10 Ride On Curlin - He is sired by Curlin out of the Storm Cat mare Magical Ride. He is listed at 10 to 1 on the morning line. He will be ridden by Joel Rosario and is trained by Bill Gowan. His career record is 10 starts, 2 wins, 2 seconds, and 4 thirds. He is the last of three runners who returns from a start in the Kentucky Derby. He had a tough trip in the Derby and his trainer Bill Gowan was not happy at all with the way he was ridden that day by Calvin Borel. That prompted him to switch jockeys and he ends up with a very good one in Joel Rosario. One knock on this colt is he has not won a race beyond 6 furlongs (the Preakness is at 9.5 furlongs). It is tough to endorse him from a win standpoint, but he could easily hit the trifecta if he gets a better trip today than he did in the Derby.
9:31 PM EST - #9 Pablo Del Monte - He is sired by Giant's Causeway out of the Bring the Heat mare One Hot Wish. He is listed at 20 to 1 on the morning line. He will be ridden by Jeffrey Sanchez and is trained by Wesley Ward. He has a career record of 6 starts, 2 wins, and 2 third place finishes. He was an also-eligible for the Kentucky Derby, but the connections felt the #20 post in the Derby was too much to overcome and they opted for this race instead. If he goes to the lead, he will probably only be a pace factor and will not be around late in the race. If he rates off the lead, he could have a better chance, but his best career races have been when he went for the lead. His workouts give the signal he will be sent to the lead. He faces a tough task in this race if he goes to the lead.
9:26 PM EST - #8 Social Inclusion - He is sired by Pioneerof the Nile and is out of the Saint Ballado mare Saint Bernadette. He is listed as the second choice on the morning line at 5 to 1. He will be ridden by jockey Luis Contreras and is trained by Manuel Azpurua. He has only raced 3 times in his career, winning two and finishing 3rd in the other. He is seen by many as the only horse who can knock off California Chrome. He ran a 110 Beyer Speed Figure in his second career race. That 110 figure is the fastest figure of any horse in this Preakness field. After running that 110 figure, he ran in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct where he set a quick pace before fading to 3rd. He figures to be part of the pace in this race which may hurt his chances, but if he can get away with slow fractions (or sit off the leaders) he should have a huge say in the outcome of this race.
9:20 PM EST - #7 Kid Cruz - He is sired by Lemon Drop Kid out of the Tale of the Cat mare Layreebelle. He is listed at 20 to 1 on the morning line. He will be ridden by Julien Pimentel and is trained by Linda Rice. He has a career record of 5 starts, 3 wins, and a second place finish. He very well may be the wise guy choice in this race. He won a $50,000 Maiden Claimer where he was claimed out of that race by his current owners. He subsequently finished 2nd in an allowance race before winning two small stakes races at Laurel and here at Pimlico. He has the proper running style of coming from behind, especially if the pace is as fast as it appears to be. His figures have been low, but there is a high ceiling and the distance should not be a problem. He has a slight chance to upset California Chrome, but he is more likely to add great value to the exacta and trifecta. A small win bet on him might be necessary if you do not fancy California Chrome at short odds.
9:13 PM EST - #6 Ria Antonia - She is sired by Rockport Harbor out of the Mr. Greeley mare Beer Baroness. She is listed as the longest shot on the morning line at 30 to 1. She will be ridden by Calvin Borel and is trained by Tom Amoss. She has a career record of 8 starts, 2 wins, and a second place finish. She is the only filly in this race and is attempting to become the 6th filly to win the Preakness Stakes. Her last race was in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 2 but she was nowhere to be found finishing 6th beaten by 15 3/4 lengths. Amoss has elected to take the blinkers off in this race hoping to see Ria Antonia rate better than she did in the Oaks. Her owner opted to race in the Preakness to avoid the ultra talented filly Untapable. However, she seems to be overmatched in this race. Her best career Beyer is 85 which is well below the figure need to win this race. She would have been better served racing in Friday's Black Eyed Susan Stakes where she might have had a chance. It is very tough to endorse her in this race.
9:08 PM EST - #5 Bayern - He is sired by Tapit and is out of the Thunder Gulch mare Alittlebitearly. He is listed at 10 to 1 on the morning line. He will be ridden by Rosie Napravnik and trained by the affable Bob Baffert. He has a record of 4 starts, 2 wins, a second, and a third place finish. Bayern won the Grade 3 Derby Trial, but was disqualified and placed 2nd for interference during the stretch run. There is no doubt that this is a VERY talented horse but his last two efforts have the feel as if he is not quite as good as California Chrome. He does have Bob Baffert in his corner who has trained 5 Preakness winners. Baffert has elected to take the blinkers off for this race which may help Bayern not run as fast and relax in the early part of the race. Still, Baffert has said Bayern will be in the top 3 early in the running. With the expected hot early pace, it is tough to endorse him to win. He could hang around to finish in the top 3.
9:00 PM EST - #4 Ring Weekend - He is sired by Tapit and is out of the Cryptoclearance mare Costless The Magic. He is listed at 20 to 1 on the morning line. He will be ridden by Alan Garcia and is trained by H. Graham Motion. Motion won the 2011 Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom came back to finish 2nd in the 2011 Preakness Stakes. He has a record of 7 starts, 2 wins, 2 seconds, and 2 thirds. His best race to date is the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby where he went gate-to-wire and won by 3 lengths. He came back four weeks later in the Calder Derby and finished a well beaten 2nd (lost by 9 3/4 lengths). If he attempts to go to the lead in this race, he will not have the same success he had in the Tampa Bay Derby. Even if he can rate, he still needs to show he can run with Grade 1 horses. He has a chance, albeit a slim one, but he could surprise.
8:54 PM EST - #3 California Chrome - He is sired by Lucky Pulpit out of the Not For Love Mare Love the Chase. He is listed as the morning line favorite at 3 to 5. His jockey is Victor Espinoza and is trained by Art Sherman. He has a record of 11 starts, 7 wins, and one second. He is on a five race win streak and his last victory was two weeks ago in the Kentucky Derby by 1 3/4 lengths. He had a wonderful trip in the Kentucky Derby and as long as Victor Espinoza keeps Chrome from getting pinned on the inside, he should have very little to worry about. He is the clear standout in this race and the deserving favorite.
8:48 PM EST - #2 General a Rod - He is sired by Roman Ruler out of the Dynaformer mare Dynamite Eyes. He is listed at 15 to 1 on the morning line. His jockey will be Javier Castellano and is trained by Michael Maker. He is one of three horses in the Preakness who started in the Kentucky Derby. He finished 11th beaten 8 1/2 lengths two weeks ago but did have a bit of trouble during the Derby. His career record is 6 starts, 2 wins, 2 seconds, and a third. He will be near the lead which may affect him since there are a few horses that will be near the front. Another worry for him is that he has regressed since his 101 Beyer Speed Figure in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in February. If he can stay off the hot pace and out of trouble he may find himself with a chance turning for home.
8:42 PM EST - #1 Dynamic Impact- He is sired by Tiznow and out of the Smart Strike mare Featherbed. He is listed at 12 to 1 on the morning line. He will be ridden by Miguel Mena and is trained by Mark Casse. His last start was in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby on April 19 at Hawthorne Race Course. He pressed the pace in that race and got up to win by a nose while posting a 102 Beyer Speed Figure. That figure is the best last race number out of all the horses in the Preakness. He has a record of 6 starts, 2 wins and 2 seconds. He should not have a problem getting the 9.5 furlongs. The only worry for him is getting sucked up into a toxic fast pace. If he can rate off it, he can have a chance to hit the top 3.
8:35 PM EST - Let's take a look at each individual horse in the 2014 Preakness Stakes. We will start with the #1 Dynamic Impact and go through the field in chronological order.
8:33 PM EST - The Preakness Stakes will be run at 1 3/16 Miles on the dirt. The Preakness is 1/16 of a mile shorter than the Kentucky Derby, which is run at 1 1/4 miles, or 10 furlongs.
8:30 PM Eastern Time - The forecast for Preakness day looks wonderful. Sun and clouds with a temperature of 70 degrees. No rain is in the forecast at all.
8:25 PM Eastern Time - Ten horses have been entered into the Preakness Stakes led by California Chrome. California Chrome is attempting to become the 13th horse to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown since 1978.
8:22 PM Eastern Time - The Preakness Stakes is the second leg of the triple crown. The first leg was the Kentucky Derby on May 3 won by California Chrome. The final leg is the Belmont Stakes, which will take place on June 7.
8:18 PM Eastern Time - The Preakness Stakes is carded as the 12th race on a 13 race program. Post time for the 139th Preakness Stakes is at 6:18 PM Eastern Time and can be seen live on NBC.
8:10 PM Eastern Time - Welcome to VAVEL USA's live coverage of the 2014 Preakness Stakes!