Final Track Visit for Always Dreaming; Gunnevera Strong

So how much attention the Belmont receives in 2017 largely depends on what Kentucky Derby victor Always Dreaming does in the 142nd running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.

Of the four rivals he faced in the Derby, Classic Empire (2-year-old champion and early Derby favorite) will be stalking Always Dreaming (No. 4 post position) from the No. 5 post position.

Finley isn’t taking any horse lightly.

Demling was all over Always Dreaming before the eventual Derby victor even emerged as the favorite. He’s also really only one of three true speed horses in the Preakness field, along with newcomer Conquest Mo Money, and again, it helps that there is less competition.

In this century, Pletcher has sent 48 starters to the post in the Kentucky Derby.

As you see, I really like Always Dreaming, but I think Classic Empire can turn the tables at the Preakness.

Most Americans only get fired up about horse racing three times a year: the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday of May, the Preakness Stakes on the third Saturday of May, and the Belmont Stakes three weeks after the Preakness. Always Dreaming, victor of the Kentucky Derby, will be trying to add his name to the history books by becoming the 36th horse to win both the Derby and Preakness. One other factor in this school of thought is that the Kentucky Derby victor is often overrated and definitely over-bet in the Preakness. Their Preakness finish is in parentheses.

The showpiece at Pimlico race course in Baltimore follows the Derby as the second of US flat-racing’s celebrated trio of early summer classics.

Ontario-bred Shaman Ghost needed the length of the stretch to get past stubborn stablemate Dolphus to win the $300,000 Pimlico Special by a neck on Friday. In the racetrack’s spring meet of 1873, the 3-year-old stakes race was named after him and the rest is history.

A surprising second-place finisher as a +2200 bet at the Kentucky Derby, Lookin at Lee rounds out the top of the Preakness Stakes odds at +1000. Lookin At Lee, starting from Post 9, is son of 2010 Preakness victor Lookin At Lucky.

“I went insane when they were at the 5/8 pole”, Lukas said. Barbaro was euthanized several months later due to complications from that injury.

The New York Daily News staff’s pick for the 2017 Preakness Stakes is in, and it’s not Always Dreaming. The storied Kentucky stable also has Term of Art, trained by 2012 Preakness victor Doug O’Neill.

Though we missed last year’s Preakness with Nyquist, we won six of the eight prior runnings of the Preakness. Gunnevera ran poorly in the Derby but has the talent to get a piece of the purse at potentially long odds on Saturday. He could also be helped by a fast pace as will Senior Investment, who comes off a win in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. Just look at Lookin at Lee’s dream trip along the rail where he was able to close from 17th all the way up to 2nd just by saving all the ground.

Notes: Animal Kingdom made a late charge but finished just behind Shackleford in the Preakness.

Neither Velazquez nor Pletcher has won the Preakness. The margins of victory were 1 ½ lengths in the Derby and a neck in the Preakness. But most Triple Crown seasons, Pletcher skipped the middle jewel in favor of waiting for the Belmont at his NY home base.

We’ll see which horse claims the second leg of the 2017 Triple Crown. California Chrome tied for fourth place in the Belmont Stakes, which was won by Tonalist.

“When you look at what he’s done this year, to win his first two races by open lengths and to win the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby by the margins he did, it’s pretty exceptional”, Pletcher said.