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BALTIMORE — D. Wayne Lukas labored his option to Seize the Gray after his horse gained the Preakness Stakes and saved getting interrupted by well-wishers providing congratulations.
“I believe they’re making an attempt to eliminate me,” Lukas stated. “They in all probability need me to retire. I don’t assume that’ll occur.”
Not when the 88-year-old Corridor of Fame coach retains successful big-time races.
Seize the Gray ended Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan’s Triple Crown bid Saturday by going wire to wire to win the Preakness, giving Lukas his seventh victory within the race, one wanting the report held by good pal Bob Baffert.
“I’m just one behind him — I warned him already,” Lukas stated. “It by no means will get previous at this degree, and I like the competitors. I like to get in right here with the remainder of them.”
The strapping gray colt took benefit of the muddy monitor simply as Lukas hoped he would, pulling off the upset in a second consecutive spectacular begin two weeks after romping in a race on the Derby undercard at Churchill Downs. Going off at 9-1 as one of many longest photographs on the board, Seize the Gray moved to the lead instantly out of the beginning gate and by no means seemed again, ending 2 1/4 lengths forward of Mystik Dan in 1:56.82.
“I assumed his motion down the bottom was lovely, and I knew that he was dealing with the monitor,” Lukas stated. “I stated, ‘Be careful, he’s not going to give up.'”
Mystik Dan completed second within the discipline of eight horses working within the $2 million, 1 3/16-mile race. After falling wanting going again to again following his win by a nostril within the Kentucky Derby, it might be a shock if he runs within the Belmont Stakes on June 8 at Saratoga Race Course.
“My colt’s a unbelievable colt and happy with him,” coach Kenny McPeek stated. “It simply wasn’t his day, however he’ll stay to race once more.”
Seize the Gray was a shock Preakness winner going through more durable competitors than within the Pat Day Mile on Could 4. Although given the Lukas connection, it ought to by no means be a shock when one among his horses is roofed in a blanket of Black-Eyed Susan flowers.
Nobody within the race’s 149-year historical past has saddled extra horses within the Preakness than Lukas with 48 since debuting in 1980 and successful that one with Codex. He had two on this time, with Simply Metal ending fifth, however Seize the Gray — owned by 2,570 folks concerned within the MyRacehorse group — delivered the victory.
“I simply couldn’t be happier for each single one among them,” MyRacehorse founder and CEO Michael Behrens stated. “We had some large expectations, however this exceeds all these expectations.”
Seize the Gray paid $21.60 to win, $8.40 to position and $4.40 to indicate. Mystik Dan paid $4.20 and $2.80 after ending a head in entrance of third-place Catching Freedom, who paid $3.20 to indicate.
Baffert, who was in search of a record-extending ninth Preakness victory, was purported to have two horses within the discipline, however morning line favourite Muth was scratched earlier within the week due to a fever. Baffert’s Creativeness completed seventh.
“He’s nonetheless studying,” Baffert stated. “I believe we’re studying his fashion. I noticed lots as we speak that I can change going ahead. I don’t assume he desires to run like that. We didn’t actually have a plan. We thought it might be Wayne or us.”
Muth’s absence made Mystik Dan the 2-1 favourite, however he and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. couldn’t replicate their good Derby journey to win that race’s first three-way photograph end since 1947. As an alternative, Jaime Torres rode Seize the Gray to a win in his first Triple Crown race of any form, simply two years after beginning to trip.
“I’ve no phrases,” stated Torres, a local of Puerto Rico who didn’t start racing till seeing it on TV in late 2019. “I’m very excited, very excited and really grateful to all of the folks which were behind me, serving to me.”
This was the final Preakness held at Pimlico Race Course because it stands earlier than demolition begins on the historic however deteriorating monitor, which can nonetheless maintain the a hundred and fiftieth working of it subsequent yr mid-construction.
That course of is already effectively underway at Belmont Park, which is why the ultimate leg of the Triple Crown is going on at Saratoga for the primary time and is being shortened to 1 1/4 miles due to the form of the course. Kentucky Derby second-place finisher Sierra Leone, a half step from successful, is predicted to headline that discipline, although Lukas stated he’d wait to see about Seize the Gray additionally working.
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AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing
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