With the second leg of Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown all up in our grill, let’s take a little time and express a thought or two on the 143rd running of the Preakness Stakes.
Right about now we are all wondering if Kentucky Derby champ Justify is as good as we think he is. Yes he has looked like a hundred dollar bill in going 4 for 4 and that run at Churchill Downs was the stuff legends are made of, but how good can he be after just four races? Well, I will say this, cousin Joe Bob made some quick shine once and that mountain dew was the real deal. It did not age in an oak barrel for a long time…but it didn’t have too …if you know what I mean.
Good Magic has caught my eye of late and the pupils of many for that matter. The Chad Brown trained colt has been nothing but solid every time out even though he only has two lifetime wins. Brown did drop out of the sky last year to take the Preakness with Cloud Computing. It will take more than just a little Good Magic here, but obviously his conditioner sees a rabbit hiding in the hat somewhere, that is why he has traveled to Pimlico.
D.Wayne Lukas has been winning at the Preakness since 1980 (Codex). The hall of famer has never been scared to run if his horse is right and he is sending two to the starting gates. Sporting Chance has matured some of late and as we saw in the Kentucky Derby, Bravazo has the courage. Lukas stole the show in 2013 with Oxbow, could he do it again???
A new shooter has been known to hit the board and trigger some nice exotics. Do we have a Preak freak in the bunch? Diamond King might just fit that bill. Having won four of six lifetime starts including the Tesio Stakes on April 21, this John Servis trained colt could be the ticket maker at 30-1.
But I guess the real question is who is going to take the second jewel?…Justify is the one. Bob Baffert has been very high on this colt since he first stepped foot into Baffertland and after seeing the 144th Kentucky Derby I understand why. Throw Good Magic and Diamond King in there to complete your trifecta. ENJOY!!!
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