Why He Could Win

• Ny Traffic (15-1) – John Fanelli, et. al./Saffie Joseph, Jr./Horacio Karamanos
• Race record: 10: 2-3-2, earnings of $565,470

Has proven repeatedly to be competitive with high end horses, having placed in four graded stakes, including a near-miss second behind Authentic in the G1 Haskell…

Though he has just a single recorded work since the Kentucky Derby, it was a zippy half-mile in 48 seconds flat at Churchill — second-fastest of 88 at the distance on September 27…

His career-best Beyer fig of 101 isn’t the best in the group — that’s Authentic’s 105 in the Kentucky Derby — but it’s close enough that a bit of improvement (or regression on the part of others) would put him right there…

Had improved his six figs in six consecutive races prior to the Derby, so perhaps he was due to bounce a bit; can get back to better form here…

Why He Could Lose

Despite numerous good efforts, he’s now 0-for-5 in graded company, and this looks like a tough group against which to try to break that streak…

His forwardly-placed running style may not serve him all that well in a race with speedier speed than his; he pressed Authentic early in the Derby and was done before the quarter-pole, and the addition of Art Collector and Swiss Skydiver may heat things up..

Has lost to Authentic twice and also finished behind two other of these rivals — Mr. Big News and Max Player — in the Derby…

First Preakness trip for trainer Joseph and local pilot Karamanos…

What They’re Saying About Him

“Would I say he ran his best race? No,” Joseph said after the Kentucky Derby. “I don’t know when he lost his shoe. When you’re at that level, you need to have everything go right. He wasn’t the best horse in the race to begin with, so he can’t afford to give away advantages.”

Ny Traffic also got a couple of cuts in the Derby, which couldn’t have helped his cause, but if the September 27 work is any indication, he seems to be back on his game.

Video Past Performances