Preakness 2015: Results and Takeaways Ahead of Belmont Stakes
American Pharoah was victorious in the 140th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, and so the attention turns to the all-important final race in the Triple Crown—the Belmont Stakes on June 6.
The colt blew away the rest of the field as he powered to a seven-length victory in Baltimore.
Here's the full video of the race, courtesy of NBC Sports:
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Read on for the full results breakdown and the takeaways from the action at Pimlico Race Course.
| 1 | 1 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | ---- |
| 2 | 5 | Tale of Verve | Joel Rosario | Dallas Stewart | 7 |
| 3 | 7 | Divining Rod | Javier Castellano | Arnaud Delacour | 8 |
| 4 | 2 | Dortmund | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | 15 1/2 |
| 5 | 3 | Mr. Z | Corey Nakatani | D. Wayne Lukas | 17 1/4 |
| 6 | 4 | Danzig Moon | Julien Leparoux | Mark Casse | 18 1/4 |
| 7 | 8 | Firing Line | Gary Stevens | Simon Callaghan | 45 |
| 8 | 6 | Bodhisattva | Trevor McCarthy | Jose Corrales | 48 1/4 |
American Pharoah on Course for Triple Crown
American Pharoah's victory follows his dramatic triumph in the Kentucky Derby, meaning he could become the first horse since Affirmed all the way back in 1978 to win all three races.
The race took place in dreadful conditions, as a thunderstorm drenched the course. Even so, American Pharoah took it in stride, as Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde notes:
As ESPN Stats & Info notes, American Pharoah's time was hampered by the conditions. Even so, he got off to a better start than even Affirmed:
The colt, who has now won six consecutive races after losing in his debut, is now a serious contender for racing immortality.
Bob Baffert Does It Again (Again)
Bob Baffert's stock could scarcely be higher right now.
The trainer's victory in Kentucky saw him take a step closer to all-time greatness, per ESPN Stats & Info:
As the Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman notes, Baffert took another step on Saturday, as he continued his remarkable success in Baltimore:
The 62-year-old was full of praise for American Pharoah after the race, and he insisted the Triple Crown was not on his mind.
Per the Associated Press' Richard Rosenblatt (via Yahoo Sports), he said: "Great horses do great things and he showed it today. He's just an incredible horse. I don't even want to think about the Triple Crown right now. I want to enjoy this. It's tough up there."
Whatever happens at Belmont, Baffert deserves huge credit for his work in training American Pharoah.
Belmont Will Be a Tougher Challenge
The Preakness Stakes only featured a field of eight horses.
The field at Belmont will be more along the lines of the Kentucky Derby, and this should make it a much closer race than the Preakness.
According to Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee, the losing horses in Kentucky have recently taken to skipping the Preakness altogether, making them "more rested and, consequently, more of a challenge to any horse who attempts all three races."
Firing Line and Dortmund, who rounded out the top three in Kentucky, were also present in Baltimore but were unable to replicate their performances in the torrential conditions.
Assuming the conditions are more favourable at Belmont, both horses—along with those returning from the Derby—will provide American Pharoah with a strong challenge.
As Privman notes, American Pharoah is battling to go one better than 13 horses before him:
Though history may be against American Pharoah, the colt has shown that he is a fierce competitor and can rise to any challenge put in front of him. Come June 6, the 37-year wait for a new Triple Crown winner could well be over.
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