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2002 PREAKNESS STAKES |
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WAR EMBLEM WINS THE PREAKNESS STAKES THE PREAKNESS STAKES OFFICIAL RESULTS MAY 18, 2002 PREAKNESS STAKES GRADE I PIMLICO RACECOURSE, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND FOR THREE YEAR OLDS ONE AND THREE-SIXTEENTHS MILES MAIN TRACK: FAST
WAR EMBLEM Winner 127th Preakness Stakes Jockey: Victor Espinoza Trainer: Bob Baffert Owners: The Thoroughbred Corporation
OFFICIAL ORDER OF FINISH
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THOROUGHBRED CORP. BACK IN WINNERS CIRCLE AT PIMLICO May 18, 2002 Preakness Stakes Baltimore, Maryland After winning the Kentucky Derby many thought the Bob Baffert and the team from the Thoroughbred Corp. were plain lucky and that the true runners from this years sophomore group would emerge as thirteen starters went in the gate for the 2002 Preakness Stakes. As the trash talking from the trainers became intense as the week went on leading up to the Preakness many thought that War Emblem would get the true test of his career as he would be tested fiercely on the front end in the second jewel of the triple crown. Horses such as Booklet, Menacing Dennis and Medalia d'Oro among others were supposed to give the derby champ an honest run for the money. Somewhere along the line though someone forgot to tell War Emblem as the head strong colt dragged jockey Victor Espinoza to the lead at the top of the stretch and finished well to hold off the late charge of long shot Magic Weisner, the local Maryland horse, who ran second. In deep stretch, it looked as if Proud Citizen, the Lukas trainee, would get to War Emblem but could never get closer than a length in the stretch and then faded late in the race to finish third. Proud Citizen jockey, Mike Smith, would later tell NBC that his bump at the start and his wide run in the first turn was the difference that the two could not make up in the stretch. Magic Weisner, trained by Nancy Alberts, ran a super race for second as jockey Richard Migliore settled the colt back in the pack early on before picking off horses late in the race making an impressive late charge in the final sixteenth of the stretch to get up for a well deserved second.
With two races complete in the triple crown War Emblem will try to finish the quest for the coveted title by winning the Belmont Stakes on June 8, at Belmont Park in New York.
For the recap of the race see below.
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127th Preakness Stakes Race Recap:
The field was sent off to a good start, except for Crimson Hero who broke awkward, as Menacing Dennis cleared the field from the eleven post and led the field through the opening quarter mile in 22.87. War Emblem was content off the leaders shoulder in second as Medaglia d'Oro , Booklet and U S S Tinosa ran intently behind the two leaders as to not let War Emblem get away with the soft fractions that were run in the Kentucky Derby. War Emblem continued to let Menacing Dennis carve the early fractions at the half mile pole but was now tugging on Espinoza to let him loose. Menacing Dennis ran the half-mile in a brisk 46.10. War Emblem was still being tracked by Medaglia d'Oro, Booklet, Proud Citizen and U S S Tinosa. As the field was starting to stretch out War Emblem was now stalking the leader in complete command of the race as the group passed the three-quarter marker in 1:10.60. Menacing Dennis was still leading but War Emblem was ready to take the lead whenever he wanted it now only a half-length back in second. Proud Citizen was now in third position trying to secure room for his big run at the leaders in the stretch. U S S Tinosa was also putting in his move to gain position for his final stretch run as Medaglia D'oro was now starting to retreat in fifth. In the stretch, War Emblem took command of the lead and drew off by one and one-half lengths as Proud Citizen was running hard but could not seem to make up the small bit of ground needed to take the lead. On the outside Magic Weisner, after running far back early and caught five wide in the turn, picked off the entire field and was closing stoutly nearing the wire. At the wire, War Emblem held off long shot Magic Wesiner by three-quarters of a length to win the 127th running of the Preakness Stakes. Magic Weisner ran a very respectable race for second while Proud Citizen finished in the show spot. War Emblem is a three-year-old dark bay/brown colt owned by The Thoroughbred Corp., trained by bob Baffert and was ridden by Victor Espinoza. |
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22.87, 46.10, 1:10.60, 1:36.22, 1:56.36
War Emblem proves Derby was no fluke
By JAY PRIVMAN, DAILY RACING FORM
May 19, 2002
BALTIMORE - The pace, track, and trip were
decidedly different than the Kentucky Derby, but the 127th Preakness Stakes on Saturday at
Pimlico Race Course wound up with the same winner, as War Emblem bravely held on to win the
second leg of the Triple Crown.
War Emblem now heads to the June 8 Belmont Stakes with a chance to become the sport's 12th
Triple Crown winner, and the first since Affirmed in 1978. If War Emblem wins that race, his owners,
Prince Ahmed Salman's Thoroughbred Corporation, and Russell Reinemen, will receive a $5 million bonus
from Visa, the Triple Crown's sponsor. Salman owns 90 percent of the colt, Reineman 10 percent.
This is the third time in six seasons that trainer Bob Baffert has won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness
Stakes to head to Belmont with a chance to win the Triple Crown. Both Silver Charm in 1997 and Real
Quiet in 1998 finished second in the Belmont.
Baffert and Salman also won last year's Preakness and Belmont with Point Given,
who finished fifth as the favorite in the Derby.
War Emblem was challenged for the early lead in the Preakness, unlike in the Derby,
in which he was allowed to set a leisurely pace at Churchill Downs. He had to sit
off of the speedy Menacing Dennis through fast fractions, put away that pace
rival, turned back a bid from Proud Citizen at midstretch, then outlasted the 45-1
longshot Magic Weisner to win by three-quarters of a length.
Magic Weisner finished second, three-quarters of a length in front of Proud Citizen,
who had finished second in the Derby. Harlan's Holiday, the beaten favorite in the
Derby, finished fourth.
The biggest disappointment in the race was Medaglia d'Oro, who went off as the
second choice at 3-1 and finished eighth after stalking the early pace.
"I don't have much of an excuse, to be honest with you," said Jerry Bailey, who
rode Medaglia d'Oro.
Straight Gin, who finished ninth in the 13-horse field, had to be removed from the
track in the horse ambulance. According to Dr. Larry Bramlage, the on-call veterinarian for the American Association of Equine Practitioners, Straight Gin
suffered a bowed tendon in his right front leg.
War Emblem, who was 20-1 in the Derby, went off as the 5-2 favorite and paid
$7.60 to win.
It was cold and windy at Pimlico on Saturday, and rain that fell Friday night and
into Saturday left the main track in sloppy condition for the first race. The track
had been sealed Friday night, so when the rain stopped before noon, the track was
quickly upgraded to good, and then fast long before the Preakness.
On that fast track, War Emblem was timed in 1:56.36 for 1 3/16 miles.
The early fractions of 22.97 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.10 for the half
were set by Menacing Dennis, but War Emblem was right outside of him. Medaglia
d'Oro was just behind those two, with U S S Tinosa to his inside. Booklet was
outside that group, with Proud Citizen wider still.
As the field advanced down the backstretch, Menacing Dennis continued to lead
narrowly, but War Emblem always was going the stronger of the two. Victor Espinoza, riding War Emblem, had a firm hold on the reins, and War Emblem was
running aggressively, a sign the colt would have plenty to offer when asked. They
passed the six-furlong mark in 1:10.80, with Menacing Dennis still in front by a
head.
"He is aggressive when someone takes his place," Espinoza said.
Espinoza allowed War Emblem to roll along as the field reached the far turn, and he
quickly opened daylight on his opposition. War Emblem passed the mile mark in
1:35.22 with a 1 1/2-length lead.
Proud Citizen, who was forced wide on both turns, bravely made a run at War
Emblem at midstretch, but War Emblem turned away his challenge.
There was one more to come. Magic Weisner, a Maryland-bred gelding
trained, owned, and bred by Nancy Alberts, finished well, but too late. As the field galloped
out past the wire, War Emblem never let Magic Weisner get past him.
"Victor, please make the Triple Crown," Salman said to Espinoza on the victory
stand.
Baffert said the key to victory in this race was getting War Emblem to try and
relax, "key him down a little bit.
"I told Victor to be prepared if someone goes out there," Baffert said. "Opinions die
and records live," said the man who had just won his fourth Preakness. "This horse
is for real."
War Emblem has now won four straight races and is 6-for-9 lifetime. He is
unbeaten in two starts since Salman privately purchased his majority share of the
colt from Reineman following the Illinois Derby.
- additional reporting by Matt Hegarty