Preakness

starters to come back and run in the Preakness.

His only other Derby winner, Super Saver, finished eighth in the 2010 Preakness.

“It is a quick turnaround, and sometimes you don’t know how horses are going to respond to that until you get into the stretch of the race,” Pletcher said. “That’s really when you find out what they have left in reserve. But we like what we’re seeing so far.”

Casse has spent much of the past two weeks dissecting Classic Empire’s Kentucky Derby trip. He was knocked off path out of the gate, part of a chain reaction started by Irish War Cry and continued by McCraken.

Casse said Classic Empire rallying for fourth after such a rough start “may have been his best race ever.” And he’s eager to see what his horse can accomplish Saturday in a less-crowded field.

“We still feel he’s the best horse, and we want to prove it,” Casse said.

But Casse said he knows it won’t be easy.

“If anything, maybe I have a greater respect for Always Dreaming now,” he said. “I think he’s going to be tougher to beat than I thought he would going into the Derby.”

For the record, only once in the last nine runnings of the Preakness have the top two betting favorites actually finished among the top two. It last happened in 2012, when second-choice I’ll Have Another beat favorite Bodemeister.

Led by Steve Asmussen’s Lookin At Lee, three others from the Kentucky Derby moved on to the Preakness. Asmussen’s Hence also is back after finishing 11th in the Derby. Gunnevera returns after a seventh-place finish.

Among the newcomers on the Triple Crown trail, Conquest Mo Money could be the most intriguing. The son of Uncle Mo looked like the winner in the Arkansas Derby before being caught by Classic Empire in the final strides. He figures to be among the pace-setters in the Preakness, with Always Dreaming and Classic Empire also expected to be close.

“To me, the rest will need to come with a game higher than they’ve showed so far,” Casse said of the other contenders. “I think Conquest Mo Money has been compromised a couple of times in his last two starts, and he’s probably a little better than he looks on paper.”

Corey Lanerie once again will be aboard the late-running Lookin At Lee, who enjoyed a clear trip along the rail on his way to finishing second in the Derby.

Lanerie said he would love to see a fast-paced battle early among Conquest Mo Money, Always Dreaming and Classic Empire, perhaps setting up Lookin At Lee for a late run down the stretch.

“I do feel like we’re going to need some help, a little bit more luck with Always Dreaming, because he looked mighty tough and we’re going a little shorter this time,” Lanerie said. “It’s a totally different race, but I love the way my horse finishes. He’s taken on everything you could throw at him.

“Always Dreaming hasn’t had many obstacles to face. Maybe he’s that good that he won’t encounter trouble. But you never know.”

Preakness Odds Chart The field for Saturday’s 142nd Preakness Stakes: PP Horse Trainer Jockey Odds 1. Multiplier Brendan Walsh Joel Rosario 30-1 2. Cloud Computing Chad Brown Javier Castellano 12-1 3. Hence Steve Asmussen Florent Geroux 20-1 4. Always Dreaming Todd Pletcher John Velazquez 4-5 5. Classic Empire Mark Casse Julien Leparoux 3-1 6. Gunnevera Antonio Sano Mike Smith 15-1 7. Term of Art Doug O’Neill Jose Ortiz 30-1 8. Senior Investment Ken McPeek Channing Hill 30-1 9. Lookin at Lee Steve Asmussen Corey Lanerie 10-1 10. Conquest Mo Money Miguel Hernandez Jorge Carreno 15-1 Weights: 126 each. Distance: 13⁄16 miles. Purse: $1,500,000. First place: $900,000. Second place: $300,000. Third place: $165,000. Fourth place: $90,000. Post time: 3:48 p.m. PDT/MST.