New horses among Preakness challenges facing Always Dreaming

After Always Dreaming’s win in the Kentucky Derby as the favorite, the colt will be running in the Preakness with a bull’s-eye on his back.

With a victory, Always Dreaming would head to the Belmont Stakes in New York three weeks later with a shot at winning the Triple Crown. Two years ago, American Pharoah ended a 37-year drought by winning the Triple Crown. Before that, California Chrome in 2014 and I’ll Have Another in 2012 followed up their Kentucky Derby victories by winning the Preakness to set up Triple tries. Neither pulled off the feat.

The 142nd Preakness is shaping up to have 11 runners. Entries are due May 17, when post positions will be drawn.

Always Dreaming figures to be the clear favorite. After starting the year without a victory, he’s won four in a row by a combined 23¼ lengths.

Always Dreaming arrived in Baltimore three days after winning the Derby by 2¾ lengths on a sloppy track. Trainer Todd Pletcher wanted to give the dark bay colt plenty of time to adjust to his new surroundings since Always Dreaming proved difficult to train in the days leading up to the Derby. His behavior forced Pletcher to adjust his equipment and use a different exercise rider in the mornings.

The colt has been, well, like a dream since he left Kentucky.

“We like what we’re seeing so far,” Pletcher said. “All the indications are he’s bounced out of the race quickly. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly he cooled down after the race and recovered so well even the evening of the Derby. All the indications since then have been great.”

Pletcher traditionally skips the Preakness because he’s not a fan of running horses back two weeks after a stressful race like the Derby. Instead, the New York-based trainer often gives his Derby runners five weeks’ rest and points them toward the 1½-mile Belmont Stakes, the third and longest leg of the Triple Crown.

“It’s really a tremendous respect for the Preakness,” Pletcher said. “It’s something I’d love to win. It’s just in a lot of cases we felt like that our horses need a little more time to recover, and not all of them have bounced out of the Derby as well as it seems like Dreaming has so far.”

The 49-year-old trainer is 0 for 8 in the race. His best finish was third with Impeachment in 2000. Always Dreaming will be just his second Preakness starter in seven years.