Field of 13 Expected for Preakness, Without Country House or Maximum Security

Post positions will be drawn late Wednesday afternoon for Saturday's Preakness Stakes (Grade 1) at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
Pimlico officials expect there will be thirteen entrants for the 1 3/16 mile race, after a surprise 13th horse was entered Wednesday morning at Pimlico when trainer Dale Romans announced he will run Everfast. 

Everfast, owned by Calumet Farm, surely will be one of the longest shots in the Preakness field.

Scheduled post time is 6:48 p.m. Saturday.

Of that 'bakers dozen', Improbable and War of Will are the most prominent and are among likely favorites.

Other likely Preakness entrants are Alwaysmining, Win Win Win, Bourbon War, Owendale, Anothertwistoffate, Signalman, and Bodexpress, Warrior's Charge, Laughing Fox and Market King.

The Preakness field will not include Country House or Maximum Security.
 
Thus, there will be  no immediate rematch of this year's Kentucky Derby (Grade 1), where Country House was declared the winner following the controversial disqualification of Maximum Security--who crossed the finish line first by 1 1/4 lengths over runner-up Country House.

Country House is not running in the Preakness because of a cough, according to his trainer Bill Mott.

Maximum Security is not running in the Preakness because the DQ in the May 4  Kentucky Derby has cost him a chance for the Triple Crown, said Gary West who with his wife Mary is co-owner of that colt.

The Triple Crown will conclude June 8 with the 1 1/2 mile Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. 



On May 6, Maximuim Security co-owner Gary West said Maximuim Security will not run in the Preakness because the horse does not have a chance for the Triple Crown. West and his co-owner wife Mary made that decision after the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission declined to hear their appeal of Churchill Downs' stewards disqualification. The Commission said such decisions by the stewards are not subject to appeal.


On Saturday May 4, Country House became the first horse in the 145-year history of the Kentucky Derby to win it through disqualification of another horse because of an infraction in the race. 
 
Maximum Security  crossed the finish line first, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Country House. Code of Honor finished third in the 19-horse field in the 1 1/4 mile race for  3-year-olds at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

But after the jockeys of Long Range Toddy and Country House lodged objections, three Churchill Downs stewards unanimously disqualified Maximum Security for an incident in the final turn. 

Country House was declared the winner, while Code of Honor was moved into second place.

Maximum Security was placed 17th, one spot below Long Range Toddy. That horse was one of the three that stewards determined were interfered with by Maximum Security, possibly costing them chances for higher finishes.

Improbable crossed the finish line fifth and was moved up  to fourth place in the Kentucky Derby.  He was not involved in the incident that led to Maximum Security's disqualification.

War of Will the horse most directly impacted by Maximum Security.  War of Will was in third place and gaining momentum when Maximum Security veered out one lane and into War of Will's  path - forcing jockey Tyler Gaffalione to pull back on War of Will.

On Monday May 13, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission suspended jockey Luis Saez for 15 days citing failure to control Maxmum Security amd thus putting other horses and their jockeys at risk. The suspension is reciprocal in other states but does not  include stakes races.