The Preakness line up has changed slightly with two colts added and three no longer under consideration per Maryland Jockey Club Stake Coordinator Coley Blind.
Country Grammer was announced as a contender on Wednesday. 2017 Preakness winner with Cloud Computing, trainer Chad Brown looks for his second Classic win with the lightly raced Tonalist colt. Winning the Peter Pan G3 at Saratoga in July, his last start in the Runhappy Travers in August was a bit flat.
The bay colt had several bright breezes at Saratoga going 4 furlongs in 48.81 Sept. 6, 4 furlongs in 48.92 Sept. 12 and 4 furlongs in 49.57 Sept. 19. He will have one more breeze Saturday at Saratoga before he ships to Pimlico next week.
Steve Asmussen, who just won his 9,000th race and was twice the Preakness victor with Curlin (2007) and Rachel Alexandra (2009) will be bringing three contenders. Originally entering Pneumatic, Asmussen will now be bringing the formidable Max Player in addition to Excession.
Seven-time Preakness winner Bob Baffert will go for a record-breaking eighth with likely favorites Authentic and Thousand Words. Tying the record of R. Wyndham Walden in 2018 with Justify, Baffert would surpass the storied trainer in Preakness wins with a victory on Oct. 3. Baffert won a record-tying sixth Kentucky Derby (with Ben Jones) with Authentic on Sept. 5.
Walden won with Tom Ochiltree (1875), Duke of Magenta (1878), Harold (1879), Grenada (1880), Saunterer (1881), Vanguard (1882) and Refund (1888).
Baffert won with Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), Point Given (2001), War Emblem (2002), Lookin at Lucky (2010), American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018).
Other confirmed runners are Brett Calhoune’s Mr. Big News who won a spot with his Oaklawn Stake victory in March, and Liveyourbeastlife and Jesus’ Team who were supplemented.
Yet to have a Preakness win on his resume, Todd Pletcher had two entries to choose from. He decided Dr Post is a no but is still on the fence about Happy Saver who won a spot in the Preakness with his Tesio victory Sept. 7 at Laurel Park. The other option for the Pletcher trainees is the Oct. 10 Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Mystic Guide is also another who could either be headed to the Preakness or the Jockey Club Gold Cup. The Michael Stidham trainee breezed 4 furlongs at Fair Hill in 48.60 on Saturday. The Ghostzapper colt won the Jim Dandy G2 at Saratoga on Sept. 5. Stidham will make a decision after a weekend workout for a possible short in-state commute from Fair Hill to Pimlico.
Swiss Skydiver will have a workout Saturday that will determine her destination. If Swiss Skydiver does not go in the Preakness, trainer Kenny McPeek has plans to run in the Oct. 4 Spinster or the Oct. 10 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland as a final prep for the Daredevil filly toward his year-end goal, the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
“The filly has had a really good week,” McPeek said. “There’s no need to make any kind of decision just yet. Let’s see how she works Saturday and we’ll go from there.”
Lebda will run Thursday, Oct. 1 in the $200,000 Chick Lang G3 for 3-year-olds sprinting six furlongs. Monday Morning Qb and Mongolian Wind are not in contention for the Preakness with no word on their future plans.
Post positions will be drawn Monday afternoon however Blind was unsure of the exact time. When asked why the draw was Monday instead of the traditional Wednesday before the Preakness Blind said “COVID, everything is different this year.”
Preakness confirmed contenders and possibles:
+ Art Collector
+ Authentic
+ Country Grammer
+ Excession
? Happy Saver
+ Jesus’ Team
+ Liveyourbeastlife
+ Max Player
+ Mr. Big News
? Mystic Guide
? Ny Traffic
+ Pneumatic
? Swiss Skydiver
+ Thousand Words
For information on Max Player and other contenders/possibles see our previous preview.
》COUNTRY GRAMMER (KY)
Tonalist – Arabian Song x Forestry
6 Starts: 2-0-1, $157,320
Trainer: Chad C. Brown
Owner: Paul P. Pompa, Jr.
Breeder: Scott Pierce & Debbie Pierce
Recent: Saratoga, 9/19/2020, Dirt training, 4F, 49.57Breezing, 8/60
Last: Saratoga, 8/8/2020, Runhappy Travers Stakes G1, ESF 101, 5/7
Notes: The winner of the Peter Pan G3 at Saratoga July 16, Country Grammer slipped a bit in the Runhappy Travers G1 August 8 placing fifth. He also had a fifth place finish in the Fountain of Youth G2 in late February at Gulfstream. His only win was in a MSW at Aqueduct Nov. 11, 2019. However, he has pretty solid speed figures and a front-running style. Look for him to be up with the pace-setters.
Saturday work at Saratoga and ship to Pimlico Monday.
Rating: ☆☆*
Country Grammer 2020 Peter Pan
》EXCESSION (KY)
Union Rags – Draw It x Tap It
9 Starts: 1-1-3, $288,612
Trainer: Steven M. Asmussen
Owner: Calumet Farm
Breeder: Randal Family Trust, R David & Marylyn A Randal Trustees
Recent: Churchill Downs, 9/22/2020, Dirt, 5F1:00.60, Breezing, 1/11
Last: Oaklawn Park, 3/14/2020, Rebel Stakes G2, ESF 100, 2/8
Notes: Excession placed second by 3/4 of a length in his last start to the now retired Baffert trainee Nadal in the Rebel G2. Running dead last for most of the race he moved up around the second turn. Tyler Baze guided the Union Rags colt through a large gap down the stretch but he drifted and was unable to catch Nadal. He finished seven lengths ahead of his stablemate Basin who placed third. In all, it was a very game effort at the end against a very good colt.
However, Excession is unraced in seven months and showed lackluster performances in his two previous stakes starts, the Risen Star G2 and the Lecomte G3. His only win was Nov. 23, 2019 in a MSW at Churchill Downs.
Arrived at Pimlico Wednesday.
Rating: ☆☆
Excession 2020 Rebel G2
*Ratings are the editor’s opinion and are not endorsements or handicapping advice.
By MbKalinich, Editor, Past The Wire Photo: War of Will wins the 2019 Preakness Stakes. Credit Maryland Jockey Club
