Preakness Stakes: Justify holds off a late challenge to keep Triple Crown bid alive

Mike Smith guides Justify to victory in the Preakness Stakes half a length ahead of Bravazzo on Saturday.

(Mike Stewart / Associated Press)

Suddenly the Belmont Stakes got very interesting.

Justify, who has won every race with great dominance, showed the Triple Crown is not a certainty after horses seriously challenged him deep in the stretch as he started to tire. He still won the 143rd Preakness Stakes on Saturday by half a length and is likely headed to Belmont in three weeks to see if he can become the 13th Triple Crown winner.

Of the 134,487 in attendance, no one except the jockeys can say they actually saw the race. At mid-afternoon a heavy fog enveloped Pimlico Race Course, and it just got worse as the day wore on.

Winning trainer Bob Baffert watched the race with his family and a handful of reporters on a 24-inch monitor in the paddock area. But the view on television was only slightly less obscured than to the naked eye. NBC had to change several camera positions because any long shot was all fog. Even then, it was extremely difficult to follow.

Justify and Good Magic went to the lead early and down the backstretch it appeared as if they were in a match race, separated from the other six horses.

As they entered the far turn, you couldn’t see anything.

“The race is like the longest race in my life,” said Teo Ah Khing, head of the China Horse Club, one of the owners. “Waiting for 20 seconds without seeing the result, it was like years.”

As they emerged in mid-stretch you could see Justify in front but there were other horses near him for the first time in his five-race career. Jockey Mike Smith switched to a left-hand whip, which is usually a sign a horse is tiring.

Baffert let out an “Uh, oh.”

Baffert then started yelling “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, Mike” waiting for the finish line to arrive.

Then, Bravazo appeared in the picture with a big move, closing ground with every stride.

But the finish line soon brought cheers and hugs among his family.

Bravazo finished second, just a neck ahead of Tenfold, who was a neck in front of Good Magic. The remainder of the field was Lone Sailor, Sporting Chance, Diamond King and Quip.

Justify paid $2.80 to win, $2.80 to place and $2.60 to show.

It was Baffert’s seventh Preakness win, tying him with Robert Wyndham Walden, who won all his races in the 1880s. It’s also the fifth time that Baffert has brought the Kentucky Derby winner to Pimlico and the fifth win. A victory in the Belmont would make him two for five, which would get him in the hall of fame if wasn’t already in it.

Baffert plans to ship the colt to Churchill Downs where he will be evaluated to see if he’s ready for the third and final leg of the Triple Crown. The Preakness is the shortest of the three races at 1 3/16 miles, while the Belmont is the longest at 1 ½ miles.

“One thing about him, he’s a big, heavy strong horse and races don’t knock him out,” Baffert said. “He will eat everything tonight. That’s just the way he is.

“I know you keep hearing me say the same thing, but I would love to put a Western saddle on him and ride him in the Rose Parade, if they would let me. He’s just so beautiful.”

Smith said he never felt threatened by the late-charging horses.

“Although he got a little tired today, he was also looking around a bit at the end,” Smith said. “A bit of greenness came out today but he also got pushed pretty hard early on.”

Bravazo’s trainer, Wayne Lukas, is making it clear he’s ready for a rematch in New York.

“What I saw of it, I liked it a lot,” Lukas said. “I want them to extend it another 50 yards. He was running at the end. … We kept [Justify] honest just like we said we would. Bob’s tough in these if he gets the right horse. We’ll see what happens in the next one.”

Justify is scheduled to leave the track around 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning. One thing Baffert won’t do, like he did in Louisville, is bring him out for a photo op. That move two weeks ago set off a series of alarms that the horse was favoring his back left hoof. Baffert said it was scratches from the wet surface. PETA got involved and asked the state veterinarians to look at the horse, which they did. They determined he had a bruise. But, he showed no signs of discomfort in any of his workouts or Saturday’s race.

“So, I’m going to be really reluctant to bring him out to you guys [Sunday],” Baffert said.

It’s a little early to determine who might run against Justify in the Belmont, but there is one very intriguing scenario. Audible, winner of the Florida Derby and a charging third in the Kentucky Derby, skipped the Preakness. But, he’s owned in part by WinStar Farm and the China Horse Club, the two principal owners of Justify.

Elliott Walden, managing partner of the ownership group, said he’s not ready to make a decision on Audible just yet.

Interesting dilemma.

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With time running out there have been some slight changes but the order has been established.

Justify has ticked back to 2-5, which is where he opened the day. Other horses have moved by a point.

Here’s where things stand at about 6 p.m. in Baltimore (3 p.m. in Los Angeles).

1. Quip 10-1

2. Lone Sailor 11-1

3. Sporting Chance 20-1

4. Diamond King 16-1

5. Good Magic 5-1

6. Tenfold 23-1

7. Justify 2-5

8. Bravazo 13-1

The fog at Pimlico Race Course has gotten worse, making both turns and much of the backstretch impossible to see from the grandstands a little more than an hour before Preakness post time.

If conditions don’t improve, most fans will be unable to see the majority of the race unaided.

It’s unclear if there is a safety issue for the horses and jockeys. If visibility is severely limited, the race could be delayed. But those chances are slim.

The closer you get to post time the less likely the odds are to change much because there is more money in the pool.

In the last hour, only Tenfold’s odds changed, from 21-1 to 22-1. Otherwise everyone stayed the same.

Justify remains the 1-2 favorite with Good Magic at 5-1.

Here’s where things stand at about 5 p.m. in Baltimore (2 p.m. in Los Angeles).

1. Quip 9-1

2. Lone Sailor 10-1

3. Sporting Chance 19-1

4. Diamond King 15-1

5. Good Magic 5-1

6. Tenfold 22-1

7. Justify 1-2

8. Bravazo 12-1

As if from a scene of an old John Carpenter movie, a heavy fog covered Pimlico Race Course in less than 15 minutes.

It doesn’t appear that the fog will make the race less safe for the jockeys and horses, but it is definitely an impediment for spectators hoping to watch the horses run their race.

The 10th race, the first run after the fog arrived, forced fans on the frontstretch to watch the race on television monitors or the giant video boards.

The view was good until the camera tried to pick up the horses at the top of the homestretch, where the long view seemed to absorb more of the low cloud cover.

It’s unclear how long the fog will hover over the race track.

There has been one change in the odds in the last hour, as Diamond King ticked up a point to 15-1. Otherwise, the board is a rock of consistency.

Justify remains the 1-2 favorite.

Here’s where things stand at about 4 p.m. in Baltimore (1 p.m. in Los Angeles).

1. Quip 9-1

2. Lone Sailor 10-1

3. Sporting Chance 19-1

4. Diamond King 15-1

5. Good Magic 5-1

6. Tenfold 21-1

7. Justify 1-2

8. Bravazo 12-1

Trainer: Wayne Lukas

Jockey: Luis Saez

Owner: Calumet Farm

Morning Line: 20-1

Last race: Sixth in the Kentucky Derby

Jon White analysis: He was no match for Justify and Good Magic in the Kentucky Derby, but Bravazo’s effort was decent under the circumstances. He was farther back early than expected after getting bumped in his hindquarters during the opening strides. After that, Bravazo raced wide and rallied to reach fourth in the upper stretch before finishing sixth at 66-1.

Five years ago, like Bravazo this year, Oxbow finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby for Lukas. Oxbow then won the Preakness in a 15-1 upset. It’s unlikely that Bravazo will join Oxbow as a Lukas-trained Preakness winner, but perhaps he can run well enough to hit the board at a big price.

It was exactly a year ago when it became public that the Stronach Group was sending its fix-it guy, Tim Ritvo, to Santa Anita to try and improve the racetrack. There has been a learning curve, but Ritvo said Saturday on Preakness Day that he’s good with the progress.

“We’re bullish on Santa Anita,” he said. “It should be the gem of the West Coast.

“It’s like an old ocean liner. I think we’re trying to turn the ship around and get it going, and we’re in the process of turning it around..”

Unlike his revitalization jobs at Gulfstream in Florida and Laurel in Maryland, Ritvo has found he needs the cooperation of others, some of whom can seem entrenched.

“I’m getting a lot better vibes,” Ritvo said. “The TOC [Thoroughbred Owners of California] is cooperating a little bit. I’m learning about the racing commission in a highly regulatory environment. There are a bunch of different industry interests. I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

When he arrived at Santa Anita, he identified short fields as the top thing he needed to fix. He’s seeing positive signs in that area.

“Even now, after the Santa Anita Derby, field size has been good,” he said. “[Saturday’s] card is excellent. It’s one of the only cards in the country that’s on the grass. We saw a big increase [Friday] and we’ll probably see a good bump [Saturday].”

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: Mike Smith

Owners: China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, WinStar Farm

Morning Line: 1-2

Last race: Won the Kentucky Derby

Jon White’s analysis: Trainer Bob Baffert has been Mr. Perfection when it comes to running Kentucky Derby winners in the Preakness. All four of Baffert’s Derby winners prior to this year — Silver Charm in 1997, Real Quiet in 1998, War Emblem in 2002 and American Pharoah in 2015 — returned two weeks later to take the second leg in the Triple Crown at Pimlico.

When asked how he’s been perfect with his Derby winners in the Preakness, Baffert said all four proved they were the best horse when they won the Derby, then just stayed “in the zone” to come back 14 days later and get the job done in Baltimore.

Another reason Baffert cited for such successes was his experience in quarter-horse racing. During Baffert’s time as a quarter-horse trainer, a horse generally would have to qualify for a futurity or derby one week earlier. Baffert learned to deal with “the quick turnaround in the quarter-horse world,” as he puts it, by having a horse “run well enough” to qualify for the futurity or derby, but “not too well.” In other words, the goal was for the horse to qualify, then come back a week after the trial for a serious run at winning the next race.

Baffert has six Preakness victories. He is tied with Wayne Lukas for the second-most wins by a trainer. The record of seven was set in the 1880s by Robert Wyndham Walden.

Pimlico oddsmaker Keith Feustle has installed Justify as a 1-2 morning-line favorite.

Justify faces just seven opponents in the Preakness, compared with the 19 he had to outrun in the Derby. The early pace this time should not be anywhere close to as torrid as it was in the Derby. In terms of speed, Justify towers over this group. Wet track? No problem. Longtime racing fans may remember when horses that often did well on a wet track would get a mud mark next to their name in the Daily Racing Form. Considering Justify now has won on a muddy track at Santa Anita and a sloppy track at Churchill Downs, he no doubt would be well on his way to getting a mud mark.

As has been the pattern all day, there’s not been a lot of change in the last hour of betting on the Preakness Stakes.

Sporting Chance went from 18-1 to 19-1, and Diamond King went from 15-1 to 14-1. Tenfold also jumped to 21-1.

Everything else has stayed the same.

Here’s where things stand at about 3 p.m. in Baltimore (noon a.m. in Los Angeles).

1. Quip 9-1

2. Lone Sailor 10-1

3. Sporting Chance 19-1

4. Diamond King 14-1

5. Good Magic 5-1

6. Tenfold 21-1

7. Justify 1-2

8. Bravazo 12-1

Trainer: Steve Asmussen

Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.

Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds

Morning Line: 20-1

Last race: Fifth in the Arkansas Derby

Jon White’s analysis: He’s light in experience but seems to have a fair amount of ability. This will be only his fourth career start. After winning his first two races, Tenfold ran fifth in the Arkansas Derby. His sire is Curlin. Steve Asmussen, Tenfold’s conditioner, trained Curlin when he won the Preakness in 2007.

The rain has moved to a light drizzle at Pimlico Race Course, but the track is not salvageable. It’s current condition is listed as sloppy, which means you can see puddles and it’s likely the drying process hasn’t started.

It may be coincidence or simply track bias, but no horse has come from far off the lead to win. If that’s the case, the track would favor Justify, who has shown a propensity to go to or near the lead.

Through eight races, no horse has made up more than three lengths. Now, some of the fields have been as small as four horses because of scratches when all but one of the races on the turf were moved to dirt.

If the rain stops completely, there is a chance the track condition could be upgraded to good, but that would really be a misnomer.

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

Owners: Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables

Morning Line: 3-1

Last race: Second in the Kentucky Derby

Jon White’s analysis: The Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male of 2017 ran his heart out down the stretch in the 2018 Kentucky Derby, but he couldn’t close the gap on Justify. Good Magic had to settle for second. It appears there is a good chance that Good Magic also will finish second in the Preakness.

Curlin, Good Magic’s sire, won the 2007 Preakness. Still, it doesn’t bode well for Good Magic that horses who finished second in the Kentucky Derby have won the Preakness only three times in the last 57 years (Summer Squall in 1990, Prairie Bayou in 1993 and Exaggerator in 2016).

Two of the horses in the Preakness Stakes dropped a point in the last hour as daylong wagering continued.

Sporting Chance, who opened the day at 20-1 is now down to 18-1. And Tenfold, who has spent the day at 21-1, is down slightly to 20-1.

Justify remains the favorite at 1-2, just like his morning line odds.

Here’s where things stand at about 2 p.m. in Baltimore (11 a.m. in Los Angeles).

1. Quip 9-1

2. Lone Sailor 10-1

3. Sporting Chance 18-1

4. Diamond King 15-1

5. Good Magic 5-1

6. Tenfold 20-1

7. Justify 1-2

8. Bravazo 12-1

Trainer: John Servis

Jockey: Javier Castellano

Owners: Cash is King, D.J. Stable and LC Racing

Morning Line: 30-1

Last race: Won the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel

Jon White analysis: Despite the Federico Tesio win, it appears Diamond King is biting off more than he can chew here. At least his new rider, Hall of Famer and four-time Eclipse Award winner Javier Castellano, is one of the best.

Trainer: Wayne Lukas

Jockey: Luis Contreras

Owners: Robert C. Baker and William L. Mack

Morning Line: 30-1

Last race: Fourth in the Pat Day Mile

Jon White analysis: After he did not have sufficient points to get into the Kentucky Derby, Sporting Chance ran fourth in the Pat Day Mile for Lukas. A quirky sort, Sporting Chance twice has ducked out sharply in the stretch. He did it when he won the Hopeful Stakes last year at Saratoga. He did it again this year in the Blue Grass Stakes when he finished third and was disqualified to fourth. Superfecta bettors should bear in mind Sporting Chance has finished worse than fourth only once in seven career starts.

The odds board seems to have stabilized. In the last hour, there was only one move as Lone Sailor went from 11-1 to 10-1.

Justify remains the clear favorite at 1-2. Good Magic remains at 5-1.

Here’s where things stand at about 1 p.m. in Baltimore (10 a.m. in Los Angeles).

1. Quip 9-1

2. Lone Sailor 10-1

3. Sporting Chance 19-1

4. Diamond King 15-1

5. Good Magic 5-1

6. Tenfold 21-1

7. Justify 1-2

8. Bravazo 12-1

Trainer: Tom Amoss

Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Owner: G M B Racing

Morning Line: 15-1

Last race: Eighth in the Kentucky Derby

Jon White analysis: Fifteenth early in the Kentucky Derby, Lone Sailor encountered a roadblock on the far turn before coming on to end eighth at 24-1. He has lost seven in a row. It is the longest losing streak of any horse in this year’s Preakness.

Very little significant change in the last hour on the Preakness Stakes odds board.

Quip and Sporting Chance clicked one point lower, while Justify’s odds rose almost imperceptibility. The favorite went from 2-5 to his morning-line odds of 1-2.

Here’s where things stand at about noon in Baltimore (9 a.m. in Los Angeles).

1. Quip 9-1

2. Lone Sailor 11-1

3. Sporting Chance 19-1

4. Diamond King 15-1

5. Good Magic 5-1

6. Tenfold 21-1

7. Justify 1-2

8. Bravazo 12-1

In addition to all the scratches on the card and all but one race moved off the turf, Preakness officials announced they also were canceling an appearance by the Budweiser Clydesdales and parachute jumpers.

It seems as if the equipment the Clydesdales pull is very heavy and there was the fear the wagon would get stuck in the river of mud that has become the dirt track at Pimlico.

Not having sky divers jump in limited visibility was an easy call to make.

Not canceled, however, is the infield concert lineup that includes Post Malone and Odesza. The infield concert has helped swell Preakness attendance over the past decade with a younger crowd that might not otherwise attend a horse race.

The weather likely will cut into that number, but how much won’t be known until later in the day when the main acts take the stage.

Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset

Jockey: Florent Geroux

Owner: WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, SF Racing

Morning Line: 12-1

Last race: Second in the Arkansas Derby

Jon White analysis: He won the Tampa Bay Derby and ran second in the Arkansas Derby. After skipping the Kentucky Derby, Quip comes into this race relatively fresh. But it is a rarity when the Preakness is won by a horse who did not run in the Kentucky Derby. Just four of the last 34 Preakness winners (Red Bullet in 2000, Bernardini in 2006, Rachel Alexander in 2009 and Cloud Computing in 2017) did not start in the Derby.

There also is common ownership for Quip and Justify, something that I just can’t help but view as a negative for Quip in this race. I find it hard to believe these owners actually would put someone in the Preakness that could possibly derail Justify’s opportunity for a Triple Crown sweep, a feat that would be worth millions if Justify achieves it. Thus, to me, it is highly unlikely that Quip will beat Justify. But Quip, like Bravazo, is a candidate to hit the board.

There are not a lot of surprises in early betting on the Preakness Stakes. Justify will be a less-than-odds-on favorite, and Good Magic will be the second choice.

As the day goes on, you won’t see the odds fluctuate more than a couple points, barring a huge bet early in the day.

Here’s where things stand at about 11 a.m. in Baltimore (8 a.m. in Los Angeles).

1. Quip 10-1

2. Lone Sailor 11-1

3. Sporting Chance 20-1

4. Diamond King 15-1

5. Good Magic 5-1

6. Tenfold 21-1

7. Justify 2-5

8. Bravazo 12-1

A constant rain on Saturday morning has caused 37 horses (as of 9 a.m. ET) to scratch from the 14-race card. The good news is no horses scratched from the Preakness.

In addition, all turf races, except for the Grade 3 $150,000 Gallorette Stakes were taken off the turf.

Here’s a look at the scratches:

1st—Autostrade (1), Taco Supream (2)

2nd—Off the turf: Hot Girl (1), Going Out (3), Contrarian (4), Aquamarina (5), Sophia Is An Angel (6), Oh My (8), She Doesn’t Mind (9), Monte Crista (12)

3rd—Parade Of Nations (1)

4th—Off the turf: Uncle Youdge (1), Against The Win (1a), Mai Ty One On (3), Jarvis Steel (4), Warleigh (7), Fear (9), Nice Tune (10), Dothat Dance (12)

5th—Off the turf (Now 1 1/16 miles): Say The Word (6), Coltandmississippi (9)

6th—Bo Vuk

7th—Off the turf: Frostmourne (4), Doctor Mounty (5), World Approval (7), Divisidero (8)

8th—No changes

9th—On the turf: Cambodia (5), Special Event (7)

10th—Jockey change: Jose Ortiz on Red Dragon Tattoo (3)

11th—Off the turf: Jessica Krupnick (6), Boos (8), Carolina Shag (10), Just Talkin (12)

12th—California Night (3), Threes Over Deuces (4), Whirlin Curlin (7), Takedown (9)

13th—No changes

14th—Far From Awesome (1a)

One of the first indications of how the public views the Preakness field can be found in the prices of the Black-Eyed Susan/Preakness double. It’s where you hook up the winner of the 3-year-old filly race on Friday with winner of the Preakness on Saturday. Betting closes at post time on the Friday race.

It’s should be no surprise that Justify is the big favorite, with Good Magic paying about three times as much.

Here are the prices of Red Ruby (4), winner of the Black-Eyed Susan, and the Preakness horses.

1. Quip $131.80

2. Lone Sailor $155.20

3. Sporting Chance $434.20

4. Diamond King $405.60

5. Good Magic $48.80

6. Tenfold $255.80

7. Justify $13.20

8. Bravazo $147.80

Trainers Bob Baffert, left, and Wayne Lukas, shown in 2010, have won the Preakness Stakes six times each.

(Ed Reinke / Associated Press)

It’s always fun to speculate about what would have happened if, almost a half-century ago when Bob Baffert called Wayne Lukas for a job, Lukas would have said yes.

Instead, he said no.

“I asked him for a job one time out of high school, and he turned me down,” Baffert said. “I tell him, ‘I’m sure glad you turned me down because you’d be taking all the credit for this.’ But he probably would have fired me after two weeks because he works way too hard.”

“This,” as Baffert puts it, is having the Kentucky Derby winner who just may be good enough to win the Triple Crown. Justify takes his second step toward that goal Saturday in the 143rd running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.

There are a lot of similarities between the two trainers.

Baffert has won the Preakness six times. So has Lukas. Both were successful in quarter-horse racing. Lukas, as a thoroughbred trainer, has 14 Triple Crown wins; Baffert has 13. Baffert has one Triple Crown. Lukas has none.

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Kentucky Derby winner Justify is bathed following a training session on May 17.

(Rob Carr / AFP/Getty Images)

The star of Saturday’s show arrived at Pimlico Race Course by van at about 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. Led by assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes, Justify calmly got off the van, ears perked, after a 1 1/2-hour flight from Louisville, Ky., for Saturday’s 143th running of the Preakness Stakes.

Barnes did the handoff to trainer Bob Baffert, who walked the Kentucky Derby winner around the shedrow a couple of times, before another handoff that eventually led the colt to stall 28 at the stakes barn.

More than 100 journalists stood in the rain awaiting the colt’s arrival and subsequent 20-second walk to the barn area.

A little more than hour later, Justify was the first name drawn for Saturday’s race and was assigned the No. 7 post in the eight-horse race.

Baffert was not sitting with the ownership group during the draw, instead electing to stand with a couple of reporters off to the side. Elliott Walden, one of the owners who also acts as the spokesman, flashed Baffert a thumbs-up when the seven was drawn.

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Elliott Walden, left, and Bob Baffert

(Rob Carr / Getty Images)

Elliott Walden has won only one Triple Crown race as a trainer. After losing in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness to Real Quiet, his colt, Victory Gallop, got up in the final stride to beat Real Quiet by a nose in the 1998 Belmont Stakes.

It was the second year in a row that Real Quiet’s trainer, Bob Baffert, had won the first two legs and failed in the third.

This year, Baffert has his eye on his second Triple Crown, having won it in 2015 with American Pharoah. And standing by his side will be Walden, whose WinStar Farm is the majority owner of Justify, the prohibitive 1-2 favorite in Saturday’s 143rd running of the Preakness Stakes. If he wins at Pimlico, he’ll go to Belmont Park in three weeks to try to complete the Triple Crown.

“[Justify] is as good as anything I’ve been around,” Walden said during a break from the rain that has pelted the Baltimore area for two days and will continue through Saturday.

“I think Victory Gallop would be in the same breath. Anything else would be less than that.”

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Justify, with exercise rider Humberto Gomez, gallops around the track at Pimlico Race Course on Thursday.

(Patrick Semansky / Associated Press)

There are two things that people have been talking about in connection with Saturday’s running of the Preakness Stakes — and both seem to be powerful forces of nature.

Experts have all but conceded the second leg of the Triple Crown will go to Kentucky Derby winner Justify, who could become the 13th horse to win the coveted three-race series.

The other force is the weather. Since Tuesday, almost 5 inches of rain has fallen in Baltimore, leading to flash flood warnings. There is a 100% chance of rain Saturday, and with that comes a waterlogged track.

Eight horses are entered in the 1 3/16-mile race, the shortest race in the Triple Crown. Only Good Magic, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby, is given any chance to hand Justify his first loss. Justify is a crushing 1-2 favorite, while Good Magic is 3-1. Bravazo (sixth in the Derby) and Lone Sailor (eighth) are the only other colts who ran in Louisville two weeks ago.

One of the most famous Preakness races was in 2015 when a fast-moving rain fell on Pimlico at race time, making it difficult for even the announcer to pick up the horses as they went to post.

That race was won by American Pharoah, who became the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years. Justify is now being talked about in the same rarified air as American Pharoah. It’s an inevitable comparison as both horses had Bob Baffert as their trainer. When asked how good Justify is, Baffert always comes back to American Pharoah.

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Bob Baffert leads Justify out of Barn 33 at Churchill Downs the morning after winning the Kentucky Derby.

(Garry Jones / Associated Press)

Trainer Bob Baffert once called the Preakness Stakes the easiest of the Triple Crown races to win. Of course, he said that in a year when he didn’t have the Kentucky Derby winner staring at a bit of horse racing immortality.

Baffert knows a little bit about the Preakness, having won it six times. He’s also four-for-four when he has taken the Kentucky Derby winner to Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

This time, expectations are sky-high, scaring off most of the horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby almost two weeks ago.

“That’s my favorite of the races because it’s stress-free,” Baffert said. “They just do a great job. They make sure all of our needs are taken care of. The only thing you have to watch out for is you don’t overdo it on the crab cakes.”

This race, the second leg of the Triple Crown, is the shortest of the three races at 1 3/16 miles. It’s also the narrowest track at 70 feet, limiting the field to 14, as opposed to the Kentucky Derby, which has 20. But that shouldn’t be a factor as the presence of Justify has slimmed the field down to just eight horses. The last time eight horses started in the Preakness? It was 2015 when American Pharoah won the Triple Crown for Baffert.

Too many parallels to ignore?

Here are five storylines that you can expect to hear about this week at the Preakness.

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Excited about Justify’s Triple Crown run? Want to see the second leg? Here’s what you need to know.

The race is scheduled to start at 6:48 p.m. EDT in Baltimore. That’s 5:48 p.m. in Chicago and 4:48 p.m. in Denver. Oh, that’s right, we’re in Los Angeles, where the race is scheduled to go at 3:48 p.m.

Now, the race will actually start a few minutes later than that as track officials hold post time in order to get the most amount of late wagering money in the pool.

But the real factor to look at is the time of the NBC broadcast. The baby network, NBCSN, goes on at 2:30 p.m. EDT and goes until 5 p.m. That’s when the big-boy network gets cranked up. Some TV guides may list the race coverage as going off the air at 7 p.m., but netowrk officials have actually blocked out time until 7:15 p.m. or maybe even 7:30 p.m., when they show a hockey game.

So they’ve got a lot of contingency plans. If it’s historic, they stay longer. If Tenfold wins, they cut to hockey earlier.

The Preakness doesn’t have the caché of the Kentucky Derby, but it’s a much more pleasant, fun experience than the Derby. Plus, everyone knows the Black-Eyed Susan cocktail is a lot more pleasant than the drink from the powder-sugar bottom of the Mint Julep.

Bottoms up, but turn on the TV by 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. depending on your time zone.

Mike Smith rides Justify through the fourth turn and on to victory during the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby.

(John Minchillo / Associated Press)

First there was the visit, then the lie, and finally the injury — three sets of circumstances that helped chart the course for Justify, who is ready to take his second step toward a Triple Crown in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.

Things can easily go wrong in horse racing, and the timing for late-developing colts is even more tricky. There is no margin for error.

So it was quite the surprise when trainer Bob Baffert visited the office of Santa Anita racing secretary Rick Hammerle in early February to inquire about a maiden race.

“I remember it was 9:30 or 10 and Bob casually walks in and asks, ‘How’s that second race going?’” Hammerle said. “Now, Bob rarely comes by at entry time, so I asked him what was going on. It was so unlike him.”

Hammerle told Baffert that there were only four horses entered, but added he wasn’t worried. The race would fill.

Baffert then pulled Hammerle to the side.

“I have a horse in there that can win the Kentucky Derby,” Hammerle recalled Baffert saying.

“My jaw just dropped,” Hammerle said. “I never heard anyone ever say that about a first-time starter in February. I kept it to myself like it was privileged information.”

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