Preakness profiles: Always Dreaming

Staff Reports

In our Preakness profiles, we look into each of Saturday’s Preakness contenders.

WHO IS ALWAYS DREAMING?

Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming owns a four-race win streak by margins ranging from 2 3/4 lengths in the Derby up to 11 lengths when he broke his maiden. The son of Bodemeister won the Grade 1 Florida Derby to stamp his ticket to Louisville and enters this spot on a great roll.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT ALWAYS DREAMING

“He’s been training great for a long time now and he continues to show us the same things he was showing us leading up to the Derby,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He’s full of himself. He’s energetic. He’s showing us everything we hoped he would.” Pletcher, who trained Super Saver to a win in the 2010 Kentucky Derby before that runner finished eighth in Baltimore, says that Always Dreaming has bounced back more strongly than his prior Derby winner.

WHY HE COULD WIN

Quite simply, it’s been a long, long time since he did anything wrong; he’s won four straight after losing his first two races, narrowly. He’s shown the ability to win on the front-end or adopt a stalk-and-pounce type of style, both running styles that often find success in the Preakness. He’s probably the best sophomore in training right now and is undefeated with jockey John Velazquez in the irons.

WHY HE COULD LOSE

He benefited in the Derby when his major rivals — Classic Empire, Irish War Cry, and McCraken — all suffered mishaps of one sort or another. In particular, Classic Empire could run a big race here if he gets a clean trip. In addition, while there doesn’t appear to be much front-end speed in the race, the other major pace player, Conquest Mo Money, is drawn outside and could complicate matters for Always Dreaming if he heads right for the front.