BALTIMORE (AP) — War Will bounced back by a rocky ride in the Kentucky Derby to win the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, holding off a field that included a riderless horse that threw his jockey from the gate and kept running.
Trainer Mark Casse acquired his first Triple Crown success, with War of Will unfazed beginning from the inside No. 1 place position for the second consecutive race. War of Will suffered a rough trip and was interfered with at the Kentucky Derby, which led to first-place finisher Maximum Security being disqualified.
Casse was just thankful War of Will did not go down in the Derby, which could have turned into a multihorse catastrophe.
“This is even I think likely more particular given everything that we have been through,” Casse explained. “I am not even calling it redemption. I didn’t feel like he got his fair shot, and that’s all I wanted — a reasonable shot. And he showed what he had now.”
War of Will was 6/1 to win the race.
Bodexpress threw Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez out of the starting gate but still ended the race and did an extra lap around the Pimlico track. An outrider tried to swoop in at the top of the stretch and corral Bodexpress, but the horse sped up and passed a few competitors close to the finish line — and kept going. Technically, Bodexpress understands a did-not-finish.
“He was not behaving well,” said Velazquez, who added he’s fine and would not seek out medical care. “Once the doors opened, I was off directly from the beginning and he sort of jumped and that I had my feet out and I lost my balance and went out.”
War Will made a movement around the last turn directed by jockey Tyler Gaffalione and didn’t relent down the stretch. Addition Everfast came in Owendale and second thirdparty. Casse, 58, entered a horse at the Preakness for the fifth time and came two years ago when Classic Empire ended next.
“I’m just pleased for Mark to receive his first Classic win,” Gaffalione explained. “pleased for the horse. He deserved it more. He’s so unique.”
It’s also a breakthrough for Gaffalione, who has become something of a rising star since being called top apprentice rider in 2015. Gaffalione, 24, was aboard War Will for the colt’s sixth successive race and came off with the biggest success of his young career.
“It really has not even hit me yet,” he explained. “I can’t even put it into words.
Bob Baffert-trained Improbable was beaten as the preferred for its 2nd successive Triple Crown race. Improbable finished sixth in the 13-horse field that was the largest at the Preakness since 2011.
This was the very first Preakness run with no Kentucky Derby winner since 1996 — now with no horse that crossed the finish line and the long-shot Country House who was raised to first after Maximum Security was disqualified for interference. Return to 1951 for the previous time the Preakness was run without the top four finishers from the Derby.
The race was run at a tumultuous time for horse racing.
After 23 horse deaths at Santa Anita Park over a three-month span, there was still another in training Friday, and also a filly collapsed and died after a race at Pimlico on Friday. Then there was that the disqualification of Maximum Security at Churchill Downs and the ensuing lawsuit filed by owners Gary and Mary West and suspension handed down to jockey Luis Saez.
Back in Marylandthe Stronach Group that owns the track — along with Santa Anita — is headquartered in an ongoing quarrel with local politicians over the future of the Preakness being at historic but aging Pimlico or the owners’ favored Laurel Park about 30 miles south. More than 6,000 grandstand seats were cordoned off because they were deemed unsafe, and a water main break disrupted preparations for the event and left a shortage of water on race day.
All around the nation, horse racing is fending off a threat to the existence in the form of legalized sports gambling. Yet the Maryland Jockey Club reported that a record attendance and amount wager on Black-Eyed Susan Day on Friday.
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