Always Dreaming faces questions before Preakness

BALTIMORE — Neither mud nor inexperience nor the ambitions of 19 other gifted and unpredictable thoroughbreds could keep yet another favorite from winning the Kentucky Derby this year.

Always Dreaming did not quite fit our usual image of a Derby leading man. He had never even run a stakes race before April 1 and his trainer, Todd Pletcher, was known for falling short at Churchill Downs. But as it turned out, the bettors were right.

The colt’s stellar performance in the Florida Derby and subsequent strong workouts signaled that he was peaking at the right time.

As always, however, the questions turn over quickly in the two weeks between the Derby and the Preakness. As good as Always Dreaming looked speeding over the slop in Louisville, he never has come back on less than a month’s rest.

So his stamina will be tested in a whole new way at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday.

Beyond pushing against his own limitations, he’ll face a solid field of new challengers and dangerous Derby holdovers.

Here are four storylines to keep an eye on: from McCraken during the post-break scrum in the Derby. Jockey Julien Leparoux said he was lucky to remain upright, and trainer Mark Casse said his horse never had a real chance to catch Always Dreaming after that.

But Classic Empire did fight like a demon to claim fourth place in the end. And his effort did speak to the same toughness he showed in rallying to win the Arkansas Derby. He was the morning-line favorite in the Derby for a reason. No less an authority than trainer Bob Baffert called him the best horse in the race.

So Casse gave racing fans a thrill when he said Classic Empire would take another shot at Always Dreaming in the Preakness. After a chaotic prep season, it seems these are the two most talented horses left standing in the 3-year-old class. And the idea of them going head-tohead in a less cluttered field is tantalizing.

Trainer Steve Asmussen said he thought Lookin At Lee was going to catch Always Dreaming in the Derby, and only the winner’s great talent prevented it.

Asmussen seemed bowled over by his horse’s effort. Lookin At Lee hasn’t won since August, but he has faced more good competition than any other horse in the field and always tries. Though he lacks the brilliance of Always Dreaming or Classic Empire, he’s one to root for if you like grinders.

Gunnevera, seventh in the Derby, is perhaps the more gifted closer. As he showed in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, he can beat a very good field if he times his big move correctly. Trainer Antonio Sano will switch riders, from Javier Castellano to Mike Smith, in hopes of nailing that formula at Pimlico.