No Shortage of Contenders for 151st Preakness Stakes (G1)

Preakness ‘On the Table’ for Derby Winner Golden Tempo
Jockey Jose Ortiz Completes Personal Triple Crown Sweep
Preakness Decision on Silent Tactic Hinges on Next Work
Violas’ St. Elias Stable Could Have Pair of Preakness Starters

LOUISVILLE, KY – Though the verdict is still out on whether Golden Tempo will make the two-week turnaround off his dramatic Kentucky Derby (G1) victory, a lengthy number of challengers are already lining up for the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1) May 16 at Laurel Park.

Cherie DeVaux, who on Saturday became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby with Golden Tempo’s neck decision over Renegade, said the Preakness Stakes “is on the table” but she needs time to see how the colt is doing before any decision is made.

“Obviously this race is in two weeks,” DeVaux said of the 1 3/16-mile Preakness as she spoke with reporters Sunday morning outside her Churchill Downs barn. “It’s a lot different than what he’s done. He’s a horse who has a lot of constitution to him. He can handle something like that. But if one day he just doesn’t look like he’s in tiptop shape, then we’ll pivot and come up with another plan.”

Executive Vice President of 1/ST Racing Mike Rogers made the traditional Sunday morning phone call and spoke with DeVaux to formally invite the Derby winner and his connections to the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

Preakness entries will be taken and the field set on Monday, May 11. The Preakness, being held for the first time at Laurel while historic Pimlico Race Course is being rebuilt, is limited to 14 starters. The last 14-horse Preakness came in 2011, won by Shackleford.

Golden Tempo made only his fifth career start in the Kentucky Derby, which came six weeks after he was third by a total of one length in the Louisiana Derby (G2).

“He’s going to leave for Keeneland,” said DeVaux, whose main string is at Keeneland in Lexington, though she also has a satellite division at Churchill Downs. “We’ll get him back there and assess how he’s doing. As long as he’s in tiptop shape, we’ll talk about [the Preakness]. It is on the table. But it’s really up to him.”

No female trainer has won the Preakness, the closest being Maryland-based Nancy Alberts finishing second in 2002 with Magic Weisner. Shelley Riley was third in the 1992 Preakness with Casual Lies; her runner-up finish at Churchill Downs had been the best Derby finish for a female trainer prior to DeVaux’s breakthrough victory.

Two horses under Preakness consideration are already at Laurel, Taj Mahal and The Hell We Did, who both breezed over the main track Saturday. Taj Mahal is undefeated in three starts, all at Laurel and two of them stakes, including the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio April 18 which earned the Brittany Russell trainee an automatic Preakness berth.

The Hell We Did has raced at four different racetracks in as many starts and most recently ran second in the April 11 Lexington (G3) at Keeneland, his two-turn debut. Trained by Todd Fincher, he shipped from Kentucky to Maryland April 28.

Other possible Preakness horses include Cherokee Nation, Chip Honcho, Crude Velocity, Crupper, Express Kid, Great White, Iron Honor, Napoleon Solo, Ottinho, Pretty Boy Miah, Silent Tactic, Talkin and Talk to Me Jimmy.

Crude Velocity, runaway winner of the Pat Day Mile (G2) Saturday at Churchill, and Cherokee Nation are each trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who owns a record eight Preakness victories. Risen Star (G2) runner-up Chip Honcho is trained fellow Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, a two-time Preakness winner with Curlin – the sire of Golden Tempo – in 2007 and filly Rachel Alexandra in 2009.

Chad Brown, who trains Gotham (G3) winner Iron Honor and Blue Grass (G1) runner-up Ottinho, won the Preakness with Cloud Computing in 2017 and Early Voting in 2022. Like Taj Mahal, Donnie Von Hemel-trained Crupper earned an automatic spot in the Preakness for his win in the 1 1/8-mile Bathhouse Row April 18 at Oaklawn Park. Express Kid has not raced since finishing second in the Sunland Derby Feb. 15.

John Battaglia winner Great White was scratched from the Derby after flipping behind the starting gate as horses were being loaded. Napoleon Solo is winless in two starts this year since winning the Champagne (G1) last fall at Aqueduct. Southwest (G3) winner Silent Tactic, second to Derby runner-up Renegade in the Arkansas Derby (G1), was withdrawn from the Derby three days before the race with a minor foot issue and immediately pointed to the Preakness by Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, who won the race with War of Will in 2019.

Talkin was second in the Champagne and third in the Blue Grass for trainer Danny Gargan. Jeremiah Englehart-trained Pretty Boy Miah has won back-to-back starts at Aqueduct, the latter going one mile April 25. Also based in New York with trainer Rudy Rodriguez, Talk to Me Jimmy won the 1 1/8-mile Withers Feb. 6 before running eighth in the Wood.

Jockey Jose Ortiz Completes Personal Triple Crown Sweep

With Saturday’s win, jockey Jose Ortiz completed a personal sweep of the Triple Crown, having won the 2022 Preakness aboard Early Voting and the 2017 Belmont Stakes (G1) with Tapwrit.

Ortiz gave Golden Tempo a masterful ride in the Derby, getting over to save ground from Post 16 in the 18-horse field soon after breaking from the gate. Last by as many as 18 lengths off the torrid pace, he picked up horses around the far turn to be 13th — just five lengths off the lead — at the top of the stretch as Ortiz swung him to the outside to make his run into the history books. They would pass 11 horses in the final eighth of a mile to outfinish Renegade, ridden by his brother, Irad.

“Jose, it was almost as if he could script it,” DeVaux said. “There was a lot of talk about him having an outside position, which we didn’t think was a big deal because there are crowds at the beginning of the race, and it’s a long stretch just to get position on the rail. Golden Tempo doesn’t really give Jose any help by just falling back so far. Jose gets all the credit for the win in the race. He got him in position around the turn and moved him out and got a clear path.”

Golden Tempo was bred by and races for the iconic Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable of Vinnie and Teresa Viola. The Derby winner has Preakness winners on both sides of his pedigree, being a son of 2007 Preakness winner, two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin. Golden Tempo is out of the broodmare Carrumba, a daughter of 2006 Preakness winner and 3-year-old champion Bernardini.

Preakness Decision on Silent Tactic Hinges on Next Work

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said that Silent Tactic, scratched from the Derby with a minor foot ailment, is doing well but a decision on whether to run in the Preakness will hinge on a mid-week workout.

“He’s actually great,” Casse said by phone Sunday morning. “I want to see how he trains for a couple of days. If we’re happy with his foot, we’ll probably breeze him mid-week and then make a decision. Right now his foot is perfect — of course.”

Casse said the foot issue was part bruise and part a tiny separation in the hoof wall.

“He has a little separation in the wall, but it actually looked pretty good when we pulled the shoe off,” he said. “He’s just kind of tender all over his left foot. We put a pad over it, just to try to give it a little relief for a few days. That’s really seemed to help him.”

Casse said he wants to run in the Preakness, a race he won in 2019 with War of Will, but only if he is “100 percent happy” with Silent Tactic’s foot.

“He could have run yesterday,” Casse said of the Derby. “But we ended up missing a day or two [of training] and it wasn’t a race I wanted to go into not being 100 percent comfortable. So we just opted to scratch, change the shoe and it seemed to help. We’ll just see how he trains the next couple of days.”

Silent Tactic was the only horse to run in all four Derby points races at Oaklawn Park, with three seconds and a win. He was second by a nose in the Rebel (G2) before finishing second in the Arkansas Derby (G1) won by Kentucky Derby runner-up Renegade.

“As it turned out, the race would have set up very nice for us as well, the closer that he is,” Casse said. “That’s what could have been, but it didn’t. Can’t worry about it. But it was nice to see Renegade show up and run so well.”

Violas’ St. Elias Stable Could Have Pair of Preakness Starters

While no decision has been made on running Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Golden Tempo in the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1), co-owner St. Elias Stable also has a horse targeting the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown in Gotham (G3) winner Iron Honor.

A $475,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, Iron Honor was seventh in the Wood Memorial (G2), losing by a total of 4 1/4 lengths. St. Elias racing and bloodstock manager Monique Delk said Iron Honor is a go for the Preakness as long as he continues to train well.

“He’s a nice, nice horse,” Delk said. “He kind of had a tough trip in the Wood, got banged up a bit, so we wanted to give him some extra time. [Trainer] Chad [Brown] opted to skip the Derby with the potential target being the Preakness. If all stays well and the horse takes us there, that’s where he’ll be headed.”

Vinnie and Teresa Viola’s St. Elias Stable races Iron Honor in partnership with William H. Lawrence and Glassman Racing. Brown won the Preakness in 2022 with Early Voting and 2017 with Cloud Computing.

Contenders for Preakness 151 at Laurel Park Saturday, May 16

Golden Tempo

Kentucky Derby (G1) winner

Cherokee Nation

This $1.15 million yearling was sixth April 4th in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Bob Baffert, who has won the Preakness eight times, trains.

Chip Honcho

This son of Connect would make his first start since finishing fifth March 21 in the Louisiana Derby (G2). He finished second in the Risen Star (G2) in February. Steve Asmussen, who won the 2007 Preakness with Curlin, trains

Crude Velocity

The son of Beau Liam was quite impressive winning the Pat Day Mile (G2) Saturday at Churchill Downs. Baffert trains this lightly raced colt who is undefeated in three starts.

Crupper

This homebred son of Candy Ride earned a free trip to the Preakness after winning the ‘Win & In” Bathhouse Row April 18 at Oaklawn. Donnie Von Hemel trains.

Express Kid

This son of Bodexpress has raced at Canterbury, Prairie Meadows, Remington and Sunland. Trainer Justin Evans saddled the colt to a second-place finish Feb. 15 in the Sunland Derby. That was his last start.

Great White

Was scratched at the starting gate of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby (G1) after throwing his rider. He was fifth in the Blue Grass (G1) in his last start April 4. John Ennis trains.

Iron Honor

Two-time Preakness winner Chad Brown saddles this $475,000 son of Nyquist who won the Gotham (G3) in February and finished seventh in the Wood Memorial (G2) in his last start.

Napoleon Solo

He won the Champagne (G1) at two and has finished fifth this year in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Wood Memorial. Chad Summers trains.

Ottinho

Another Chad Brown-trained colt who finished second in the Blue Grass (G1). In February the son of Quality Road was third in the Withers.

Pretty Boy Miah

This 3-year-old gelding has won two of four starts for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, who spoke of coming to the Preakness after the gelding won a starter optional claimer at Aqueduct April 25.

Silent Tactic

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse was forced to scratch just two days out from the Derby due to a foot ailment. This son of Tacitus won the Southwest (G3) and was second in the Rebel (G2) and Arkansas Derby (G1).

Taj Mahal

Trained by Maryland’s leading trainer Brittany Russell, this $525,000 son of Nyquist is undefeated in three races, including an 8 ¼ length win April 18 at Laurel in the Tesio, a ‘Win & In’ for the Preakness.

Talkin

He would enter the Preakness off a fifth-place finish April 4 in Blue Grass. He also finished fifth in March in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3). Danny Gargan trains

Talk to Me Jimmy

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez would saddle this New York-bred son of Modernist. The colt won the Withers but finished eighth in the Wood Memorial.

The Hell We Did

This homebred has two wins and two seconds in four starts. He finished second in his last start April 11 at Keeneland in the Lexington (G3). Todd Fincher trains.