Cloud Computing wins with hard drive

BALTIMORE — From the day they were pointed toward a reunion at the Preakness until early Saturday night, Classic Empire and Always Dreaming were, it seemed, inseparable.

Two weeks ago, at the Kentucky Derby, they were among the top picks for the Triple Crown‘s first leg. Classic Empire, the morning-line favorite, finished fourth. Always Dreaming, the final-odds favorite, came in first.

On Wednesday, the drama only built. In the draw for the Preakness, Always Dreaming took the No. 4 post, and Classic Empire No. 5. Not even a random lineup of 10 horses could keep the two from breaking side by side at Pimlico Race Course.

“Hopefully, they both have good trips, break good and it could be interesting,”

Mark Casse, who trains Classic Empire, said Wednesday. “They could go at it right from the start.”

There was no waiting. After a clean break from the starting gate, it was clear who was a contender and pretender. Ahead of the pack entering the first turn were Always Dreaming, holding inside position, and Classic Empire, not more than a length behind.

It seemed predestined: Who could stop Always Dreaming, the 6-5 finalodds favorite, and Classic Empire, the slight underdog at 2-1, from completing a duel for the ages at the wire?

The answer had hung just behind them for most of the race. After an opening

3⁄4 of a mile in which their positions never changed, Classic Empire overtook Always Dreaming midway through the second turn. Then, as they hit the homestretch, Cloud Computing brushed by Always Dreaming and took aim at the leader. The Chad Browntrained colt was not an especially long shot, but there were doubts about how he could hang with the two favorites. After all, he hadn’t faced either in the Derby, with Brown removing Cloud Computing from consideration altogether in late April.

“We were patient and didn’t throw an inexperienced horse in a 20-horse field,” co-owner

said after Saturday’s race.

As Cloud Computing chased down Classic Empire and distanced himself from Always Dreaming, it was clear who was stronger. And it wasn’t either of the two horses most had expected.

celebrated his victory in Friday’s BlackEyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico Race Course by taking father and

a former high school wrestling teammate at Winters Mill High in Carroll County, out to dinner.

Juarez said he was in bed in his father’s home in Westminster by 10:30 Friday night, was up at 3 a.m. and driving up to Monmouth Park in New Jersey, where he was scheduled to ride a full slate of races on Saturday.

“I was on the back of a horse by 7:30 in the morning,” Juarez said in a telephone interview Saturday. “I got on three horses [for their morning workouts] and then I got just an hour of sleep in and then I ride nine [races] today.”

The victory on 12-1 shot Actress was not only the most significant of his short riding career, it was also the most emotional, given his roots in Maryland.

“The Black-Eyed Susan in itself is one of the most prestigious races in horse racing,” Juarez said.