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Lucky 7 Monarchos draws seventh post for Preakness Stakes
Updated: Thursday May 17, 2001 8:18 AM
BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- The good fortune for Monarchos continued Wednesday when the Kentucky Derby winner landed the No. 7 post for Saturday's 126th Preakness Stakes. While 17 horses broke from the gate at Churchill Downs, just 11 were entered Wednesday for the 1 3/16-mile race. Those in pursuit of Monarchos will include just four colts he defeated in the Derby. The process of determining the post position for the second leg of the Triple Crown first involved a random draw in which the horses were assigned an order of selection. Monarchos, owned by John C. Oxley, drew the No. 2 ball behind Richly Blended and trainer John Ward quickly chose a post near the middle of the pack. But that position is far enough away from the rail to give him some room to maneuver.
Ward, however, said the choice was a simple one. "Mr. Oxley said 7 is his lucky number and that's where we'll go," Ward said. A 10-1 choice at the Kentucky Derby, Monarchos was installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite for Saturday. Congaree, one of two entries for trainer Bob Baffert, is the second choice at 5-2. The third-place finisher in the Derby will break from the fifth post. The luck of the draw again worked against Baffert's Point Given, who was last in the selection order Wednesday. Baffert settled for the far outside post for Point Given, which started from the No. 17 post at Churchill Downs and finished fifth. With a reduced field and a tighter race course than the Derby, the post positions are not considered as pivotal as in the Derby, as Baffert notes. "I took Real Quiet from the outside and was sick about it all week," he said. "And look what happened." Baffert's Real Quiet won the Preakness in 1998. Despite the outside post, Point Given was installed as the third choice at 3-1. The draw was conducted at the ESPN Zone in downtown Baltimore. Among the honorary participants was Jermaine Lewis -- wide receiver for the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.
© 2003 SportsTicker Enterprises, LP
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