10 Things to Come Out of the 136th Preakness at Pimlico

by Steve Davidowitz | May 26 2011

All things considered, Animal Kingdom's Kentucky Derby win and Shackleford's Preakness Stakes victory could create a classic rubber match – should the two meet as anticipated at the Here's the 2011 Belmont Stakes. 

Without any further delay, here is that list of 10 things to come out of the 2011 Preakness Stakes:

10. Kentucky Derby winner ANIMAL KINGDOM is a good horse, but not a great one. Only great ones sweep the Triple Crown.

9. Although he was caught by DIALED IN in the 1-1/8 mile Florida Derby last month and tired to fourth in the 1-1/4 mile Kentucky Derby, May 7, SHACKLEFORD's game win in the 1-3/16 mile Preakness on Saturday, proved he is more than a mere "miler." 

8. Horseplayers who believed that Shackleford's pedigree was tilted toward shorter races definitely overemphasized the impact of his sire, the sprinter FORESTRY. Likewise, they did not give enough credit to his dam, OATSEE. After all, one of Oatsee's progeny was the top filly LADY JOANNE, winner of the 2007 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga, the prestigious 1-1/4 mile race for 3-year-old fillies. To underscore Oatsee as a powerful source of stamina in Shackleford's pedigree, consider this: Lady Joanne also overcame the distance limitations of her sire -- the top sprinter ORIENTATE.

7. I don't think I've ever seen such a game performance by a horse who looked as nervous and as washed-out as Shackleford appeared during the pre-race Preakness warm-ups. Even NBC TV's Donna Barton Brothers, a former jockey, and Gary Stevens, the retired Hall of Fame jockey, practically eliminated Shackleford as a potential winner when they saw the colt dripping with sweat, acting as if he did not want to go into the starting gate.

6. Usually, when a horse you have bet on looks that washed-out before the race, you should run to the betting windows to get a refund. Fact is, another horse in the Preakness field -- SWAY AWAY -- fit the bill of a washed-out, completely unnerved racehorse and barely raised a gallop during his distant 12th place performance.

5. Can anyone tell me why Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert took the trouble to ship MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE to the Preakness? In pre-race interviews, Baffert repeated two consistent themes.

    1. "I'm just hoping he runs third or something like that," Baffert said.
    2. "We're definitely going to improve on his Derby," Baffert also said with tongue in cheek.

And yes, Midnight Interlude did "improve", finishing 13th in the Preakness Stakes compared to 16th in the Kentucky Derby. But as we all know, only 14 horses ran in the Preakness, while 19 were at Churchill Downs.