Preakness 2014: Highlights, Payout Info and Race Results

California Chrome was sterling once again. The three-year-old colt held off Ride On Curlin to win the 2014 Preakness Stakes and take one step closer to completing the Triple Crown:

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

He outclassed the competition once again, arguably looking much better than he did at Churchill Downs a few weeks ago. Despite the Pimlico Race Course being the shortest of the three Triple Crown events, California Chrome still managed to eliminate most of the drama in the final 200 or so yards.

He set the pace in what was the fastest Preakness since 2007, per Marcus Hersh of Daily Racing Form:

Here's a look at the full results from Saturday's race.

Order of Finish

Payouts

Pos.	Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Lengths
1	3	California Chrome	Victor Espinoza	Art Sherman	-
2	10	Ride On Curlin	Joel Rosario	William Gowan	1 1/2
3	8	Social Inclusion	Luis Contreras	Manny Azpurua	8
4	2	General a Rod	Javier Castellano	Mike Maker	8
5	4	Ring Weekend	Alan Garcia	H. Graham Motion	12 1/4
6	9	Pablo Del Monte	Jeffrey Sanchez	Wesley A. Ward	14
7	1	Dynamic Impact	Miguel Mena	Mark E. Casse	15 3/4
8	7	Kid Cruz	Julian Pimentel	Linda Rice	15 3/4
9	5	Bayern	Rosie Napravnik	Bob Baffert	20 3/4
10	6	Ria Antonia	Calvin Borel	Tom Amoss	30 3/4

Video Highlights

Horse	Win	Place	Show
California Chrome	$3.00	$3.00	$2.40
Ride On Curlin	—	$5.60	$3.80
Social Inclusion	—	—	$3.40

Analysis

Jockey Victor Espinoza ran a great race. He knew that California Chrome was the fastest horse in the field, but he didn't push the colt too early. California Chrome hanged around third until the final turn, when he made his final move.

Once the colt passed Pablo Del Monte, that was all she wrote. Ride On Curlin made a late surge, but it wasn't enough to overtake the odds-on favorite.

Speed is always king at Pimlico, and California Chrome had it in spades.

"It's an awesome feeling," Espinoza said, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com. "Today it was just a crazy race. I got more tired mentally than physically. I see another horse go to the front. I was going to sit second. I sit back, as soon as the other horse got clear of me, it worked out perfect."

Perhaps more impressive than California Chrome's victory is how much his return on investment has been for DAP Racing, per ESPN's Darren Rovell:

With California Chrome's victory, the focus now firmly shifts to the Belmont Stakes in three weeks.

Twelve horses have won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes since 1978, only to falter at Belmont, so the colt's job is far from done, per ESPN Stats and Info:

Some, like Dan Brooks of BrooksBaseball.net, are wondering if California Chrome is built for a track like Belmont:

Trainer Art Sherman doesn't seem supremely confident in his horse, but he remains optimistic, per Daily Racing Form:

Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman tweeted out the colt's plans before heading to New York:

The competition is sure to be tough at Belmont. Many of the top finishers at the Kentucky Derby were purposefully held out of the Preakness to ensure that they have plenty of time to prepare for the final stage of the Triple Crown.

USA Today's Gary Mihoces named some of the biggest contenders at Belmont who have had two extra weeks of rest:

Completing the last stage in the Triple Crown will no doubt be California Chrome's toughest task to date. He will have had little recovery time between the three races compared to many of the horses in the field at Belmont.

Add that with the length of Belmont Park, and you get what could be a toxic combination for the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner.

If California Chrome does come out on top, he will have earned his place in horse racing history.