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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "Post position: 7
Lifetime starts: 4
Record: 4 firsts, 0 seconds, 0 thirds
Earnings: $2,114,500
Jockey: Kent Desormeaux
Trainer: Richard Dutrow Jr.
Owner: IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr.
Pedigree: Boundary/Mien (Nuryev)
Key facts: Overcame outside post and lack of experience to easily capture the Kentucky Derby (Gr. 1). That was a brilliant race by the speedy, long-striding colt and stamped him as a serious contender to become racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner. Only negative here is that he’s got to run back in two weeks while his foes have had additional time to get ready for this.";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
Morning-line odds: 8-1
Post position: 12
Lifetime starts: 6
Record: 3 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds
Earnings: $723,420
Jockey: Mike Smith
Trainer: Paolo Lobo
Owner: Cubanacan Stables
Pedigree: Gilded Time/Devils Lake (Lost Code)
Key facts: Derby turned into disaster after Arkansas Derby winner broke a step slow from post 19 and found himself forced to steady while in heavy traffic. Colt clearly has tons of talent, as he had finished first or second in all his other starts, and if you’re willing to draw a line through his last race, he looks like the biggest threat to Big Brown. ";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
Morning-line odds: 30-1
Post position: 11
Lifetime starts: 6
Record: 4 wins, 0 seconds, 0 third
Earnings: $223,635
Jockey: Ramon Dominguez
Trainer: Richard Schosberg
Owner: Albert Fried Jr.
Pedigree: Giant’s Causeway/Moonlightandbeauty (Capote)
Key facts: Won his first four starts in New York, including the Count Fleet Stakes at Aqueduct, but enters this off a two-race losing skid. He did run well in his last start, finishing a close fourth in the Wood Memorial (Gr. 1) and the winner of that race, Tale of Ekati, came back to run fourth in the Derby.";
spt_Preakness08[i++] = new Array("","Hey Byrn","","","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Pat Crowe Ii", "AP", "273", "179", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
Morning-line odds: 20-1
Post position: 13
Lifetime starts: 8
Record: 4 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds
Earnings: $266,000
Jockey: C.C. Lopez
Trainer: Edward Plesa Jr.
Owner: Beatrice Oxerberg
Pedigree: Put It Back/Restraining Order (Skip Trial)
Key facts: Faced Big Brown in the Florida Derby (Gr. 1) and didn’t enjoy the experience, finishing fourth, 15 3/4 lengths behind the winner. But he was bumped hard at the start in that race and came back to win the Holy Bull Stakes (Gr. 3) in fine fashion. Think he can narrow the Florida Derby margin, but hard to see him erasing it.";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
Morning-line odds: 30-1
Post position: 3
Lifetime starts: 4
Record: 3 firsts, 0 seconds, 1 third
Earnings: $125,400
Jockey: Jeremy Rose
Trainer: H. Graham Motion
Owner: Earle I. Mack
Pedigree: Jump Start/Adorahy (Rahy)
Key facts: Punched his Preakness ticket with a hard-fought head victory in the Federico Tesio Stakes, Pimlico’s main prep for this race. Only loss came on the artificial Polytrack surface, when he was third behind Big Glen in the Rushaway Stakes at Turfway Park. Like almost every other horse in the field, will need sharp improvement to threaten.";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
Morning-line odds: 15-1
Post position: 8
Lifetime starts:3
Record: 1 win, 0 seconds, 1 third
Earnings: $100,200
Jockey: Jamie Theriot
Trainer: Reade Baker
Owner: Bear Stables Ltd.
Pedigree: Mr. Greeley/Tate (Afleet)
Key facts: Bounced back off poor effort in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (Gr. 2) to run solid third in the Blue Grass Stakes (Gr. 1). That wasn’t exactly a “key race,” however, as the six runners who went on to contest the Derby could manage no better than eighth. Still given he’s making just his fourth start, he’s got lots of room for further improvement.";
spt_Preakness08[i++] = new Array("","Macho Again","","","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Amy Sancetta", "AP", "192", "198", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
Morning-line odds: 20-1
Post position: 1
Lifetime starts: 8
Record: 3 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds
Earnings: $143,761
Jockey: Julien Leparoux
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Owner: West Point Thoroughbreds
Pedigree: Macho Uno/Go Donna Go (Wild Again)
Key facts: Has experience edge, as he is one of two horses in the field with eight starts. Got his first stakes victory in the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs in his last start. He’s 0-for-3 in route races so far, but his breeding says he should get the distance and he did finish a good second to Monba, the Blue Grass Stakes winner, in a mile allowance race.";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
Morning-line odds: 30-1
Post position: 6
Lifetime starts: 6
Record: 1 first, 1 second1, 1 third
Earnings: $148,391
Jockey: Robby Albarado
Trainer: Kenneth G. McPeek
Owner: West Point Thoroughbreds
Pedigree: Tale of the Cat/Reflect the Music (A.P. Indy)
Key facts: Deep closer came flying late to finish third to Behindatthebar in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Gr. 2) at Keeneland, and ran himself into a tight spot in the stretch or he might have won it. Has shown ability to handle dirt surfaces as well as the Polytrack and seems capable of hitting the board with a clean trip.";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
Morning-line odds: 30-1
Post position: 10
Lifetime starts: 7
Record: 1 first, 3 seconds, 2 thirds
Earnings: $161,100
Jockey: Edgar Prado
Trainer: Bill Mott
Owner: Zayat Stables LLC
Pedigree: Harlan’s Holiday/My Sweet Country (Bold Ruckus)
Key facts: Another exiting the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Gr. 2), where he finished third, 1 1/2 lengths behind winner Behindatthebar. Not wild about the fact that he hung late in that one, but colt has faced some good company this year and at 2, often coming close without winning, and top-flight connections add to his appeal.";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
Morning-line odds: 30-1
Post position: 9
Lifetime starts: 6
Record: 1 first, 1 second, 1 third
Earnings: $95,865
Jockey: John Velazquez
Trainer: Nick Zito
Owner: Robert V. LaPenta
Pedigree: Maria’s Mon/Company Storm (Storm Creek)
Key facts: Finished fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes (Gr. 1) despite initiating a bump at the break and then fanning 12 wide turning for home. Reservations about that race noted above in Kentucky Bear comment, but given the amount of extra ground this guy covered might be wise not to dismiss him too quickly.";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
Morning-line odds: 30-1
Post position: 2
Lifetime starts: 7
Record: 1 first, 0 seconds, 3 third
Earnings: $159,200
Jockey: Tyler Baze
Trainer: C. Beau Greely
Owner: C. Beau Greely, John J. Greely IV and Phil Houchers
Pedigree: Ecton Park/Pete’s Fancy (Peteski)
Key facts: Likely pace-setter, unless Big Brown is sent. He showed the way in the Arkansas Derby (Gr. 2), then was run down in the stretch by Derby runners Gayego (17th) and Z Fortune (10th). He has tired late in all four starts since breaking his maiden, and that seems the most likely scenario again.";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
Morning-line odds: 15-1
Post position: 5
Lifetime starts: 7
Record: 3 firsts, 0 seconds, 1 third
Earnings: $247,049
Jockey: Alex Solis
Trainer: Patrick Gallagher
Owner: Richard Duggan, Bierstock and Winner Stables and Harlequin Ranches
Pedigree: Yankee Gentleman/Vickey Jane (Royal Academy)
Key facts: Colt started his career in England, but made only one start there before showing up on this side of the Atlantic. Won a pair of stakes in California before running third to Pyro in the Louisiana Derby (Gr. 2). Then he made a big run and tired in the Santa Anita Derby (Gr. 1), finishing fourth behind Derby second choice Colonel John.";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
The Preakness is a 1 3/16th- mile race -- 1/16th of a mile shorter than the Kentucky Derby -- for 3-year-olds run at Baltimore’s historic Pimlico Race Course, also known as Old Hilltop. The race is contested over a mile dirt track that is 70 feet wide -- narrower than most racetracks – and generally favors speed. The race begins at the top of the stretch, which gives jockeys time to move their mounts in to save ground before the first turn. The early fractions of the Preakness are usually quick, but front-runners and stalkers who race close to the pace have a better chance here than they do in the Kentucky Derby.";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
There is no limit on the factors that can be considered in handicapping a race — some experts even try to compensate for the wind when evaluating a previous performance by a horse. But for today, let's confine ourselves to six of the most important considerations.
Click on factors at left to learn more.
";
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A handicapper who can correctly predict how a race will be run has a much better chance of winning than the horseplayer with no idea which horses will go to the front, which will challenge the leaders turning for home and which will attempt to run down the leaders in the final strides.
The reason, as handicapping pioneer Huey Mahl put it, is that pace makes the race.
The basic theory of pace handicapping is this: The faster a horse runs at the beginning of a race, the less energy it will have for the stretch run. As a general rule, a race in which three or more horses battle for the lead will result in a faster-than-average early pace and set the stage for a come-from-behind horse to win. Conversely, a race in which a lone horse is allowed to set a comfortable pace tends to favor the front-runner or horses that can stay within a length or two of the lead.
The Preakness has a reputation as a race that can be won on the front end, despite the testing 1 3/16th-mile distance. Although the race has been won 26 times by a horse that led from gate to wire (or about 20 percent of the time), only two horses have managed the feat in the past 24 years.
This year’s field has only a single horse that routinely goes to the front – Tres Borrachos -- and a few others – Big Brown, Gayego, Giant Moon and Hey Byrn – capable or racing on the front or stalking the leader.
That suggests that tactics will play a big part in the early stages of the Preakness, making it difficult to predict whether the pace will be faster than the typical 1:10 4/5 for 6 furlongs.
Nonetheless, a speed duel seems unlikely, so give a plus to the above-mentioned horses, a neutral rating to mid-pack runners Harlem Rocker, Icabad Crane, Kentucky Bear, Macho Again, Riley Tucker and Stevil.
Negatives go to the remainder of the field. ";
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When racetrackers talk about a horse’s class, they are talking about a combination of natural ability, consistency and heart. Handicappers have tried different approaches to try to quantify it, such as average earnings per start or the number of victories in Grade I stakes races, which draw the very best horses.
No matter how you define it, history says it is advisable in the Triple Crown races to favor horses who faced top competition as 2-year-olds, running well in at least one graded stakes, and who have returned to run credibly in similar situations at 3.
Give a plus in this category to Racecar Rhapsody, Riley Tuckey and Tres Borrachos.
Neutrals go to Gayego, Giant Moon and Yankee Bravo, all of whom won lesser stakes at 2.
Negatives to the rest.";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
Pedigree analysis has lost a lot of its luster in recent years, when several horses won spring classics despite bloodlines that indicated they would never last the distance.
But given the performance of the \"dosage\" index model over previous decades, it’s probably wise not to dismiss this line of inquiry just yet.
Which is why it pays to have at least a passing acquaintance with \"dosage,\" a method of measuring stamina in a horse’s pedigree.
Form -- shorthand for the way a horse has run in its most recent races -- looks deceptively simple to evaluate, but this factor contains numerous traps for the handicapper.
Although it's better to enter a big race off several strong efforts, horses are not machines and there is no guarantee that a contestant's last race will be repeated on race day. Likewise, horses that have run poorly in their recent races can suddenly rediscover that winning formula (Remember 1991 winner Hansel, who paid more than $20 in the Preakness after finishing 10th in the Kentucky Derby as the 5-2 favorite?). And there's always the dangerous improving horse, who can turn in the race of a lifetime when you least suspect it.
Nonetheless, horses who enter the Preakness off several strong efforts (finishing within 2 lengths of the winner) in recent races receive high marks in this category: Behindatthebar, Big Brown, Harlem Rocker and Riley Tucker.
Give a neutral ranking to Icabad Crane and Racecar Rhapsody, who barely missed qualifying, and negatives to the rest of the field.";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
The Preakness points a white-hot spotlight on riders, and it can be dazzling to those who never have stood in its glare before. Being tongue-tied in interviews is one thing, but if a rider's nervousness and excitement makes even the slightest impact on his or her judgment, the results on the racetrack are likely to be disappointing.
So we’ll give the strongest push to those horses with riders who have previously won the Preakness – Big Brown (Kent Desormeaux), Gayego (Mike Smith), Icabad Crane (Jeremy Rose), Racecar Rhapsody (Robby Albarado) and Yankee Bravo (Alex Solis).
The slimmest of deductions go to horse whose riders has won other Triple Crown races – Riley Tucker (Edgar Prado)
Give a slightly bigger deduction to the horse whose rider has positive Triple Crown experience – Giant Moon (Ramon Dominguez).
Negative marks to the remainder of the field.";
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spt_Preakness08[i-1].body = "
Unlike the jockeys, who will make any mistakes in the blink of an eye, trainers make their errors -– if any -– in the weeks before the race.
Some fine horsemen and horsewomen have been thrown off their game by the unaccustomed pressure and scrutiny they face once it becomes clear that there’s a legitimate Triple Crown prospect in the barn. Suddenly, instead of the quiet thudding of hoofbeats, the trainer is facing a phalanx of microphones and fielding endless questions about everything from choice of horseshoes to whether that last workout wasn’t just a tad bit slow.
The bottom line is that some trainers will become overly cautious in their preparations, overlooking an important detail or forgetting to pass a key piece of information to an exercise rider. The result may not be disastrous, but even the slightest misstep can be enough to get your horse beat.
Only one horse in this year’s field has a trainer who has previously won the Preakness – Stevil (Nick Zito).
We’ll give a neutral to Behindatthebar and Harlem Rocker (Todd Pletcher) and Racecar Rhapsody (Ken McPeek) by virtue of their trainers’ victories in other Triple Crown races.
The same for Big Brown (Rick Dutrow Jr.) for his work with Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Saint Liam.
Negatives to the others."; spt_Preakness08[i++] = new Array("http://msnbc.msn.com/id/24567961","Picks","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); // END editorial data