The Preakness Stakes has had a wide distribution of winners over its history, as each of the first eight gates has groomed at least 10 winners. That said, the No. 6 spot has been the most favorable gate, producing 16 winners since the starting gate was first implemented in 19o9. The Nos. 4 and 7 gates are close behind, both having produced 14 winners each.

For our (’23) purposes, however… we only need the Top-8.

Still yet… the winning horse from the 2o22 Preakness Stakes, Early Voting, ran out of the No. 5 gate in a nine-horse race. He was the third winner to come out of Gate 5 since 2ooo; the fifth position joined Gates 1, 4, and 7 as the only others to produce at least three winners in that span.

Nonetheless, success itself begins to truly dwindle beyond the 8th slot—
and that is indeed worth filing away for future Pimlico reference.

As is… there have been 23 horses winning both the Derby and the Preakness.

13 of those contenders have gone on to win the Triple Crown at the Belmont.

Pimpin’ Pimlico; ain’t… easy!

2o23 marks the very first Preakness since 1969 with just one Derby horse.

Think about that… now think about that in terms of having hoopology ‘fresh-legs’ on your 3-pointers to boot. That for a shot at the kool: $1.65 million which is added to this Grade I event.

That on the Triple Crown midway race that has the sharpest turns in the Triune series.

(i.e., some say jocking for position counts the most, here).

💡

Baffling -or battling– Bob Baffert:

The Preakness field includes National Treasure, who was not eligible for the Derby because trainer Bob Baffert is serving a two-year suspension from Churchill Downs. Medina Spirit, who failed a postrace drug test in 2021 to prompt the suspension, was Baffert’s last horse in the Preakness.

The mid-leg of the Trip’ Crown which he {sic: Bobby Bo’} has won
a record-tying seven times, mind yah!

–oOo–

The Preakness Stakes is slightly shorter than the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby at 1 3/16 miles. Or, 1/16th shorter; or not really super-short(er) at all.

9.5 furlongs if you are keeping score @home.

April showers… May flowers…

A quick interject —the official Preakness flower is the Black-Eyed Susan. Long decades ago, little Tripper Crown’s brother noticed that the Derby had an official flower and the “Run For the Roses.” So, the Preakness wanted one. They chose Susan’s, the official state flower of Maryland.
Reasonably -if not obviously- enuff… right(s)?

---

However, those geniuses of yesteryear did not realize Black Eyed Susans are a July flower and their horse race runs in May. Oh… Accordingly, they borrowed Viking Daisies and painted them. No problem. And to this day, no Susans have ever been seen on Preakness Day (unless cryogenically frozen).

“The neeeeeeeed… they need for speed.” —Duck, Duck, Goose?

In generic terms… a legit speed horse typically tallies a Beyer of between 1o5 and 115.
In all-time terms, Secretariat popped clean for the highest figure ever of: 139!
There have only been two, that’s (2) ponies ≥12o Beyer in the last decade.
And the k.Derby’s highest Beyer -ever- was 118.
Winning Preakness Beyer Par: 1o2.

K?

Now, this year’s Preakness Stakes you ask?
Well, this year’s Preakness Stakes figures between 83 and 1o5.
“83” is the lowest career best in the Field I could find: (Chase the Chaos) and “1o5” per Mage.

Or, in other words… there (apparently) is only one legit speed horse here {sic: Mage} in a ’23 field
that (apparently) wants for velocity wizardly itself.

The Closer:

Honestly and if you ask me -and you did via reading these very words- if you ask me up?

I’ma a bit down on this ’23 Preakness field than some; or at least downer than I was prior to hammering out the Excel spreadsheet up above.

This is not quite the Carl Lewis raised to the Jessie Owens ‘greased lightning’ or sprinters-delight possibles that you’d typically expect to be sent here.

This, however, actually could be viewed as helpful -if not a bit horsehead dulling- via narrowing the velocitizing possibilities as Saturday evening ≅7:05 PM goes more/less.

Or at least it could have (seemingly) at 1st-glance…

— oo —

…upon further DRF review and we see that although this may not be the tastiest Preakness draw ever a pure pounding pace goes, it is (actually) a surprisingly fair-to-middling Preakness draw as pursuit goes.

Be that closing, finishers, stalkers, or whatever pony parlance you make pet purchase on— do understand there are some possibly peppy stretch runners in play here.

Most pacing curious; n’est-ce pas?

The (to: Show) Call: (1u’s).

• Mage: jus’ ’cause he pegged at least +7 Beyer figures on everyone else.
• Blazing Sevens: ’cause the closing and coaching/jocking say so.
• National Treasure: ’cause Brisnet says: “some speed is here”.
• First Mission: ’cause Brisnet says: “(mo’) speed is here”.
• ^^^Scratched^^^ St.Eligius bless, (hind-ankle).

 

#wimps!

#BabyYodaMustDie!