Preakness Results 2015: Reviewing Race Standings and Prize-Money Chart
American Pharoah galloped one step closer to the Triple Crown, running away with the 2015 Preakness Stakes on a muddy track Saturday.
After edging out a tight Kentucky Derby victory, American Pharoah stripped the second leg of any similar intrigue. Holding a steady lead, the favorite pulled away at the final turn to cement a seven-length victory.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
His victory surprises nobody, but Tale of Verve and Divining Line both exceeded expectations to place a distant second and third, respectively. Dortmund, who was undefeated before finishing in third at Churchill Downs, fell to fourth.
| 1 | 1 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert |
| 2 | 5 | Tale of Verve | Joel Rosario | Dallas Stewart |
| 3 | 7 | Divining Rod | Javier Castellano | Arnaud Delacour |
| 4 | 2 | Dortmund | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert |
| 5 | 3 | Mr. Z | Corey Nakatani | D. Wayne Lukas |
| 6 | 4 | Danzig Moon | Julien Leparoux | Mark Casse |
| 7 | 8 | Firing Line | Gary Stevens | Simon Callaghan |
| 8 | 6 | Bodhisattva | Trevor McCarthy | Jose Corrales |
| American Pharoah | $3.80 | $3.40 | $2.80 |
| Tale of Verve | ---- | $19.00 | $8.80 |
| Divining Rod | ---- | ---- | $5.20 |
American Pharoah became the 14th horse to win both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness since the last Triple Crown triumph in 1978, with California Chrome accomplishing the same feat last year. For the second straight year, jockey Victor Espinoza will enter the Belmont Stakes with the Triple Crown in sight.
He also had a chance with War Emblem in 2002, giving him more Triple Crown victories (six) than any other rider during that stretch. Per America's Best Racing, Espinoza is hoping for a better Belmont fortune on June 6:
Baltimore's rainy conditions played right into American Pharoah's hands. Having previously conquered the Rebel Stakes in similar conditions, he once again proved unencumbered by the sloppy track. His forceful, speedy stride provided a discernible advantage through the pouring rain.
ESPN Stats & Info compared his opening speed with the last Triple Crown winner:
Not everyone handled the adversity as well. Bob Baffert's other entrant, Dortmund, needed a late push to break into the top half at fourth place.
Firing Line, the top threat outside of Baffert's stable, stumbled out of the gate and never recovered. Expected to again content for the top spot, he finished seven out of eight competitors. Trainer Simon Callaghan commented on the rough outing, per the Lexington Herald-Leader:
This is where everyone gets fired up about American Pharoah breaking the 37-year Triple Crown drought. While he'll certainly enter Belmont the favorite, he'll also face steeper competition than the Preakness' eight-horse pack.
After pulling his stable from Pimlico, trainer Todd Pletcher has several viable candidates—Carpe Diem, Materiality and Competitive Edge—for the final leg. They'll work on extra rest, while American Pharoah races his third start in five weeks.
All four of Baffert's Kentucky Derby winners followed up with a Preakness triumph, but none of the previous three completed the sweep at Belmont Park. American Pharoah is certainly good enough to snap that trend, but he'll face his toughest challenge yet in three weeks.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
