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Preakness 2005

      As most of you know, the Kentucky Derby was no wire to wire race. It was neck and neck coming down the backstretch and one of the most exciting Kentucky Derbies I have seen in the past five years or maybe even more. This year at Pimilico I expect it to be close like the Kentucky Derby seeing as how there is really no horse that stands out to me.       Some people may make the case for Afleet Alex or possibly Closing Argument to be the favorites for the Preakness, but those are usually the people that just look at the odds and expect to know everything about the horse. That is obviously not the case shown very simply in the Kentucky Derby where a 50-1 long shot won it all. In the Preakness I believe you really have to look at the horse, themselves and their track record. First, you have to look at Giacomo. He is not getting much love after winning at Churchill Downs and I don’t understand why. He had a great spurt on the backstretch and showed his competitive spirit which has to be accounted for. He has a great chance at making a run this year for the Preakness.

     
     Then there is Afleet Alex who is quite a horse. He is a durable horse that won 3rd in the Derby where some felt he could have gotten first if he didn’t break so early. He has won the Arkansas Derby and the slightly shorter distance of the Preakness may work to his advantage. He also has more room to break in the Preakness and will probably be acknowledged in his racing strategy.

     
      One of the other favorites is Closing Argument who had a decent run in the Derby. He was leading for part of the derby and was in the thick of things most of the race. Closing Argument just didn’t have enough in him to outrun Giacomo. The Preakness will only be his 3rd start which gives him a bit of a disadvantage, but a lot of people have high hopes for this colt.

     
      After these two favorites there are a bunch of just as competitive horses that are trying to win it at Pimilico. There is a great horse, High Fly, who I think has a very good chance of winning it all. High Fly has won the Florida Derby and a few Grade II and III races. He is one of Nick Zito’s fine horses who was one of the favorites in the Kentucky Derby and was near the leaders most of the race. We soon found out that he would run out of gas and not finish first. Another good horse who will be competitive is Greeley’s Galaxy. He won first in the Illinois Derby and his trained by 83 year old, Warren Stute. He is an old school trainer that has the know-how to win big races. Greeley’s Galaxy looked a little uncomfortable in the 20 horse Kentucky Derby and will feel better in the 14 horse race at Pimilico. Then there is Noble Causeway. This one is a solid horse and comes from a good line of racehorses, like Giant’s Causeway. He is also one Zito’s horses who ran well in the Kentucky Derby and is hoping he can do better in the Preakness.

     
      This one should be a good race that should be exciting down the backstretch. I have either Greeley’s Galaxy or High Fly winning this one, but it is anyone’s game at this point.

2 replies on “Preakness 2005”

nice job I wish I saw this before. You need a little help on your punctuation, but other than that nice job.

I’m glad to see someone I know at this site (or not glad, I’m not sure).

I had Closing Argument. He was not on the pace as he should have been and that cost him. I had him in the Derby, although I pegged him as the fourth best in that field of 20. Saturday I had him as the best. The good news is that my superstition died as I did not bet the Preakness and the Derby winner lost so now I am free from that curse.

But all I can say is that Afleet Alex is one good animal. Wow.

Oh, and if he had gone down, Giacomo would have been the winner as Scrappy T would have been DQ’d.

Then we’d be talking about a really crappy triple crown horse.

figures I talk about punctuation mistakes and then I do it myself:

“(or not glad, I’m not sure).”

That should be a semicolon……..

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