War of Will wins Preakness Stakes

BALTIMORE – The 144th Preakness Stakes provided vindication Saturday for War of Will, who was hindered in the controversial Kentucky Derby but had a near unimpeded trip on the rail to emerge the victor in a 13-entrant field that was low on proven contenders.

War of Will’s victory on the fast, dry 1 3/16-mile track was undisputed, with Everfast finishing second and Owendale third. Moreover, no horse broke down Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.

That amounted to a broader victory for thoroughbred racing, which is two weeks removed from a controversial Kentucky Derby finish and under scrutiny for the rash of deaths at earlier this year at Santa Anita Park and another Friday at Pimlico, where 3-year-filly Congrats Gal collapsed after crossing the finish and died of an apparent heart attack. The same day, Santa Anita saw its 24th equine death in the last five months.

Saturday’s race marked the first time in 23 years that the Kentucky Derby winner didn’t contest the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, stripping the Preakness of its most reliable and compelling story line: Would it produce a Triple Crown contender heading into June’s Belmont Stakes?

Country House was installed as the Derby winner when stewards disqualified Maximum Security, the first horse over the line, after concluding in a 22-minute review of the mud-slopped mayhem rounding the final turn that the 65-1 long shot had interfered with others in his charge to the front.

Trainer Bill Mott decided against entering Country Horse in the Preakness, citing illness. Maximum Security, whose owner has filed a lawsuit over the disqualification, also skipped the Preakness, as did the third and fourth horses across the line, Code of Honor and Tactitus.