Posted on
5/18/2007 8:04:52 PM
Preakness Stakes Betting - Baltimore Bullets
By Brian Mulligan
Before the age of political correctness, one of the best named NBA hoop teams was the Baltimore Bullets, and this weekend nine will be locked and loaded, looking for a victory in the 2nd jewel of the Triple Crown in the Preakness Stakes.
Even though Street Sense was visually impressive taking the Kentucky Derby, this is new territory for him, as he has to come back in just two weeks. In his first stakes start he came off a 22-day layoff to run third in the Arlington-Washington Futurity. He was coming off a 27-day vacation before running third in the Breeders Futurity at Keeneland before winning the BC Juvenile after 28 days rest.
Numbers are numbers. They can lie and people can make them say whatever they want, but Street Sense’s trainer Carl Nafzger is on record as saying he was so focused on the Derby that he really did not plan for after the first Saturday in May.
Hard Spun will have to fight harder to make the lead with Flying First Class able to give you a :44 half but he doesn’t need the lead to win and therein lies one of his best assets.
He’s the genuine article, was almost six lengths clear of Curlin in the Derby and should again give a very good account of himself.
His trainer, the underrated Larry Jones, has the utmost confidence as evidenced by his quote on the Preakness site. Jones: “He’s just a little faster than the other horses. If you want to run with him early, if you want to commit suicide, he’ll make you run much faster than you want to.”
Curlin has to get a better trip. The fact that he got a slice in the Derby, despite getting smothered at the start attests to his raw talent. King of the Roxy will be in a stalk and pounce position but the feeling is that he lacks the moxie of a top runner.
C P West will be trying to win only his 2nd race and he is giving away tons of experience, while Mint Slewlep has two Laurel wins on his resume and it’s hard to see that translating to a victory.
Xchanger is peaking right now, but it’s a whole new ball game to win the Tesio against a weak group and taking on some of the best sophomores in the world. Circular Quay is another Todd Pletcher student along with Roxy and his 6th in the Derby was a bit better than it looked.
This is the way it will unfold.
Lukas makes the lead with Flying First Class with Hard Spun sitting a snug second. Curlin, King of the Roxy and Xchanger will be in the second flight looming a target for deep closers C P West, Slewlep, Quay and Street Sense.
At the top of the lane Hard Spun will spurt away to clear by about three lengths, making the run to the border as Curlin looms on his outside.
In the final hundred yards, Street Sense will shoot the gap between horses, get to Hard Spun within two or three strides, then go by that rival like he was a statue.
Spun will hold off Curlin with Xchanger, completing the super.
More street cred for Street Sense.
Keep checking the Locker Room all through the Triple Crown season, as we will cover the trainers, horses and jockeys in each race. You can get your early Preakness Stakes odds at Pimlico Racetrack place your bets in now in the BetUS sportsbook in the Future / props section, under Horse Futures: 2007 Preakness Stakes.