 |
| |
|
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
EVENTS
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|
 |
Out of the spotlight Point Given takes back seat at Preakness
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Point Given, the star going into the Kentucky Derby, finds himself playing a backup role to Monarchos in Saturday's Preakness cast. "He was really built up," trainer Bob Baffert said of the Santa Anita Derby winner, who finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby as the 2-1 favorite. "There were big expectations, and he didn't come through." The strapping chestnut colt can get back on center stage by becoming the first beaten Derby favorite to win the Preakness since Hansel in 1991. After winning the Florida Derby, Monarchos joined Point Given as the top Derby contenders, but his stock dipped when he finished second in the Wood Memorial. He was 10-1 at Churchill Downs. "Now everybody has a lot of respect for him," Baffert said of Monarchos. "He showed he's a great horse. On that day [the Derby] I don't think anybody could have beaten him." Baffert will also try to beat Monarchos in the Preakness with Wood winner Congaree, third in the Derby. It is this colt that John Ward, trainer of stretch-running Monarchos, fears the most. The speedy Congaree, who had the lead until being overtaken by Monarchos approaching the 16th pole in the Derby, will be near the pace Saturday. He will race without blinkers and will have a new jockey in Jerry Bailey. "It was Jerry's horse early," said Baffert, referring to the fact that the Hall of Fame jockey, who has not ridden Congaree in a race, exercised him at Saratoga as a 2-year-old. Bailey was offered the mount for the Wood, but he was committed to ride Hero's Tribute in the Blue Grass Stakes the same day. So Victor Espinoza rode Congaree in the Wood, and Baffert kept him on for the Derby. "Victor was just filling in," Baffert said. "Jerry can get something done. He doesn't get excited. He does his homework. He stays focused because he knows how much money he's going to make." Gary Stevens, another Hall of Fame jockey, will again ride Point Given, who was second behind Congaree with a quarter-mile remaining in the Derby, but then faded. "We've got theories, but we don't know what happened," Baffert said. Despite the disappointing performance in the Derby, Point Given was made the 3-1 early third choice behind 5-2 Congaree and 2-1 Monarchos in a field of 11 3-year-olds. Point Given drew the outside post. "He's a pretty fast horse," said Baffert, who won his second Preakness with Real Quiet from No. 10 post in 1998. "We have a strategy, but I'm going to keep it to myself." Bailey will send Congaree from the No. 5 post, while Monarchos will leave from No. 7 under Jorge Chavez. Only two other starters in the 17-horse Derby will contest the 1 3/16-mile Preakness. They are A P Valentine (seventh) and Dollar Bill (15th), and Ward said after watching a tape of A P Valentine's troubled trip in the Derby that he is concerned about the threat the colt could pose. Espinoza, replaced on Congaree, will ride A P Valentine, listed at 10-1. Espinoza replaces Corey Nakatani, who will ride Mr. John, one of six newcomers to Triple Crown competition. The other five are Bay Eagle, Griffinite, Marciano, Percy Hope and Richly Blended. Griffinite is trained by Jennifer Leigh-Pedersen, who will be the ninth woman to train a Preakness starter. The first was Judy Johnson in 1968 and the last was Jean Rolfe in 1998. The one who came closest to winning was Shelley Riley, who saddled Casual Lies for a third-place finish in 1992.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
