Friday, May 15, 2009

13 Set To Go In Preakness

Jockey Calvin Borel guides Rachel Alexandra to a record 20 1/4-length win in Kentucky Oaks on May 1st. Now in the stable of Steve Asmussen, the filly is morning-line favorite for Saturday's Preakness. (Photo courtesy of Fox Sports)

If Mine That Bird is to continue his path to the Triple Crown, he will need to do it from post 2.

The upset winner of the Kentucky Derby was installed as a 6-1 choice for Saturday's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, and will break from the inside under new jockey Mike Smith. Calvin Borel, who rode Mine That Bird to victory at Churchill Downs, will instead ride morning-line favorite Rachel Alexandra, who drew the outside post in the field of 13 after her smashing win in the Kentucky Oaks. Rachel Alexandra is 8-5 under Borel, who became the first Derby-winning jockey to race against the Derby winner in the Preakness.

Rachel Alexandra will be making her first start for new trainer Steve Asmussen, who won the Preakness in 2007 with two-time Horse of the Year Curlin. Ironically, Borel finished second to Curlin in that Preakness aboard Derby winner Street Sense.

The complete field from the rail out is: Big Drama, (John Velazquez) Mine That Bird, (Smith) Musket Man, (Eibar Coa) Luv Gov, (Jamie Theriot) Friesan Fire, (Gabriel Saez) Terrain, (Jeremy Rose) Papa Clem, (Rafael Bejarano) General Quarters, (Julien Leparoux) Pioneerof The Nile, (Garrett Gomez) Flying Private, (Alan Garcia) Take The Points, (Edgar Prado) Tone It Down, (Kent Desormeaux) and Rachel Alexandra. (Borel) Post time is slated for 6:15 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow evening, with NBC providing coverage for the 134th running of the second leg of the Triple Crown.

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