Preakness post positions (and hostesses).
There are few better examples of the fine art of making the simple complicated than the big-race post position draw.
If, in other words, the answer, Jeopardy-style, is three, then the question is, “How many Marylanders does it take to draw post positions for eight horses?”
And so Pimlico track announcer Dave Rodman, Maryland Racing Commission chairman Bruce Quade, and Maryland Jockey Club vice-president and chief operating officer Sal Sinatra teamed up Wednesday evening in Pimlico’s revamped Sports Palace to announce the post positions and odds for Saturday’s 140th running of the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes.
From Stronach Group COO Tim Ritvo. From a troupe of Preakness hostesses. And from copious amounts of food and booze on offer that put everyone in a Middle Jewel kind of mood.
Once all was said and done, Bob Baffert’s charges, Kentucky Derby win horse American Pharoah and show horse Dortmund, had drawn inside, and also inside, while their main rival, Simon Callaghan’s Firing Line, was all the way outside.
In between were a mix of long, longer, and very long shots, with five runners in double digits, topped by 30-1 recent maiden winner Tale of Verve, who at the very least was one of the first runners to reach Old Hilltop today.
[su_box title=”PREAKNESS POST POSITIONS” style=”glass”]- American Pharoah, trainer Bob Baffert, 4-5
- Dortmund, Bob Baffert, 7-2
- Mr. Z, D. Wayne Lukas, 20-1
- Danzig Moon, Mark Casse, 15-1
- Tale of Verve, Dallas Stewart, 30-1
- Bodhisattva, Jose Corrales, 20-1
- Divining Rod, Arnaud Delacour, 12-1
- Firing Line, Simon Callaghan, 4-1
