Preakness Stakes (Grade 1)

TONIGHT’S Preakness Stakes (Sky Sports Racing 12.01am) may on paper be lacking the potential drama of the Kentucky Derby, and that race’s shock winner Rich Strike, but it still presents a fascinating contest with the Derby runner-up Epicenter taking on the impressive Kentucky Oaks winner, the filly Secret Oath.

Add in her 86-year-old trainer back in the big league again, and it’s still a race worth waiting up for.

Epicenter and Secret Oath head the field of nine three-year-olds, also including intriguing ‘newcomer’ Early Voting who won the Grade 3 Withers Stakes.

Epicenter, a son of Not This Time, was the 4/1 favourite in the Kentucky Derby and, despite being close to the fast early pace, he seemed the likely winner going into the final furlong.

North America’s winningmost trainer Steve Asmussen and owners were second in the Preakness last year with the ill-fated Midnight Bourbon. Connections were happy with their eight stall for the colt who can race on the pace or settle and he is the morning-line choice at 6/5.

Epicenter has won four of seven starts, with victories in two Grade 2s (Louisiana Derby and Risen Star Stakes) and he should have too much punch for the filly over this shorter distance.

Secret Oath has tackled the boys before, finishing third in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby last month at Oaklawn when she made her ground too wide and fast from the back.

The daughter of the late Arrogate was only the co-third choice in a classy Oaks field, but she was well in charge in the straight, winning by two lengths under Luis Saez.

She will try to become the seventh filly to win the Preakness and the second in three runnings. Swiss Skydiver pulled a surprise in beating Authentic in 2020 after Rachel Alexandra’s famous win back in 2009 over another Derby-winning outsider, Mine That Bird.

Not ruled out

Simplification should not be ruled out either. Another Not This Time colt, he makes his sixth outing of the season and took advantage of the brutal Derby pace to close from 15th and finish fourth. Trained by Antonio Sano, he has been remarkably consistent, winning the Grade 2 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes and winning or placing in three of four graded stakes.

Early Voting had enough qualifying points to run in the Kentucky Derby, but trainer Chad Brown opted to miss the Derby with this son of Gun Runner. Early Voting has raced only three times, winning twice and was only run down late by Derby fifth Mo Donegal in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

SELECTION: EPICENTER

Next Best: Early Voting