Kentucky Derby 2013: Contenders Sure to Improve at Preakness Stakes

Now that the 2013 Kentucky Derby is in the past and Orb has emerged as the winner, it’s time to start evaluating how the rest of the field will fare in the next Triple Crown race.

That happens to be the Preakness Stakes, which will take place, as always, at Pimlico Race Track on the third Saturday in May.

While many of the horses that competed in the Run for the Roses will skip out on this event, there should be a handful that will look to improve upon their performance at Churchill Downs come May 18 in Baltimore.

Let’s take a look at a handful of horses that are likely going to participate in the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans and fare better than they did under the Twin Spires.

Goldencents

After receiving plenty of pre-race hype for being the fastest horse (according to the Beyer Speed Figures), employing a proven trainer that won big with I’ll Have Another in 2012 (Todd O’Neill) and being co-owned by a wildly successful basketball coach (Rick Pitino of the Louisville Cardinals), Goldencents disappointed at the Derby.

However, despite his 17th-place finish, there is no reason to believe Goldencents won’t improve and be one of the first to cross the finish line at Pimlico in two weeks.

O’Neill believes that the muddy track and kickback were a big reason for his colt’s failure, as he was untested in the elements and clearly didn’t fare well after the heavens opened up in Louisville.

If the conditions are more fair and the dirt more firm during the 9.5-furlong sprint at the 2013 Preakness, Goldencents should be able to use his speed to beat out the rest of the much smaller field.

 

Oxbow

After drawing a tough No. 2 gate and going off at 24-to-1, Oxbow managed to finish a respectable sixth after the “Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.”

While not being a big winner during his prep career—he didn’t claim his maiden win until a fourth start and only recorded two wins leading up to the Derby—Oxbow proved his resilience and toughness by hanging with the pack and besting some of the opposition thought to be much quicker and to possess more endurance.

That type of never-say-die attitude will help him make another admirable finish at Pimlico, when the field is cut down and the track is shorter. He’s a decent bet to hit the board, although it’s not advisable to pick him to win over Orb and some of the other elite contenders.

Don’t be surprised in the least if Oxbow makes a late push and propels himself to a show in that event. He displayed the character and speed figures to accomplish that this past Saturday. 

 

Mylute

Jockey Rosie Napravnik was vying to become the first woman jockey to win the Kentucky Derby, but had to settle for a reputable fifth-place finish aboard Mylute.

She’ll get another chance to make history at Pimlico, as only two women have ever raced in the second jewel of the Triple Crown—Patricia Cooksey in 1985 and Andrea Seefeldt in 1994.

Neither finished better than sixth, a record that Napravnik will be looking to smash at the 2013 Preakness.

Mylute is certainly the mount to do it on, as he has been tested all over the country at various tracks and found success at nearly all of them.

The colt is a great stalker that succeeds when he hangs just off the lead and makes a late run, which is a position and style that should be much easier to accomplish at the Preakness.

If Mylute pushes Orb down the stretch for a neck-and-neck photo finish, it would hardly be shocking.

2013 Kentucky Derby Results

Place	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Post
1	Orb	Joel Rosario	Claude R. McGaughey III	16
2	Golden Soul	Robby Albarado	Dallas Stewart	4
3	Revolutionary	Calvin Borel	Todd Pletcher	3
4	Normandy Invasion	Javier Castellano	Chad Brown	5
5	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	6
6	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	2
7	Lines of Battle	Ryan Moore	Aidan O'Brien	11
8	Will Take Charge	Jon Court	D. Wayne Lukas	17
9	Charming Kitten	Edgar Prado	Todd Pletcher	15
10	Giant Finish	Jose L. Espinoza	Anthony W. Dutrow	7
11	Overanalyze	Rafael Bejarano	Todd Pletcher	9
12	Palace Malice	Mike Smith	Todd Pletcher	10
13	Java's War	Julien Leparoux	Kenny McPeek	19
14	Verrazano	John R. Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	14
15	Itsmyluckyday	Elvis Trujillo	Eddie Plesa, Jr.	12
16	Frac Daddy	Victor Lebron	Kenny McPeek	18
17	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill	8
18	Vyjack	Garrett Gomez	Rudy Rodriguez	20
19	Falling Sky	Luis Saez	John Terranova II	13