12.01 Preakness Stakes

(Grade 1) 1m1½f RTV/VirginTwo

The US Triple Crown second leg, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, is due off at 12.01pm this evening with a field of nine to post. Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty bypasses the race, aiming instead for the Belmont Stakes, but Derby runner-up Journalism heads the field and gives it some much-needed star power.

Sent off favourite, Journalism performed with credit in the Kentucky Derby, duelling with Sovereignty down the sloppy track stretch at Churchill Downs but came up a length and a half short. Trainer Michael McCarthy is happy with his recovery to give him another bite here.

He’s one of just two horses in the Preakness Stakes field, Sandman being the other, coming on just two weeks of rest following a tough Derby race in the mud. He seems a talented colt but then a quick turnaround and shorter trip is a worry.

While Journalism is a strong favourite, the rest of the field seem evenly matched.

Extra interest is added by Jamie Osborne’s bold bid with Heart Of Honour ridden by daughter Saffie.

The British trainer lost out by the narrowest of margins in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic when Bayern got the verdict by a nose over his Toast Of New York.

Osborne and Heart Of Honour, a dirt-bred son of Honor A. P., were beaten by the narrowest margin, a nose in the Group 2 UAE Derby, won by Japan’s Admire Daytona who finished last in the Kentucky Derby, but is surely better than that. The imposing colt could well out-run his odds.

Sandman was the closer who didn’t close in the Kentucky Derby when from a wide draw in 17, he ran on without ever threatening to take seventh behind Sovereignty.

He had won the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby before that, but his late-running style may not work well in the shorter distance of the Preakness.

Close third

River Thames was only beaten by a neck by Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and then finished a close third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes to Burnham Square who ran well in the Derby. He can sit just off the early pace and comes fresher than the Derby runners for Irad Ortiz and Todd Pletcher. He is probably the value n of the race at around 6/1.

John Magnier is a part owner of Clever Again, a son of American Pharoah out of a Galileo mare.

He should be on the lead or battling for it after a front-running win in the Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn. He has to go a furlong further here but on pedigree, that should be no issue.

Goal Oriented (Not This Time) is an interesting newcomer to the graded race scene for Bob Baffert. Unbeaten in two races but he steps up in class, making his stakes debut in a Triple Crown race. Baffert has won the Preakness a record eight times though his Derby runner Citizen Bull was disappointing.

American Promise chased a fast pace in Kentucky and tired badly to fade to the rear. He should get a easier time here but hard to see him rebounding with a big effort two weeks later. His 89-year-old trainer D. Wayne Lukas is aiming for back-to-back Preakness wins.

Gosger won the Lexington for Brendan Walsh and is another stepping up in class

SELECTION: River Thames

Next best: Journalism