Medina Spirit gets OK to run in race at Pimlico

The blood tests for Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit and Concert Tour came back clear Friday, so the two Bob Baffert trainees are good to go in the 146th Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

Therein lies the rub — no pun intended in light of Medina Spirit’s positive test after the Derby for an overage of the steroid betamethasone that Baffert said resulted from the use of the antifungal ointment Otomax on the horse’s hindend dermatitis.

The conundrum from a handicapping standpoint is that Medina Spirit and Concert Tour possess identical frontrunning styles, with their best races coming when they’ve led from the start. Jockeys John Velazquez on Medina Spirit and Mike Smith on Concert Tour also tend to send their mounts to the early lead when they feel they’re on the best horse.

Medina Spirit won the Kentucky Derby in a gutsy performance that saw him withstand challenges from Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie and Essential Quality. Those three finished well clear of fifthplace O Besos, but none of the four is running in the Preakness.

Concert Tour didn’t race in the Kentucky Derby after fading to third as the oddson choice in the Arkansas Derby.

“Sure, we want a Triple Crown every time,” said Jimmy Barnes, Baffert’s assistant who is at Pimlico while his boss is home in Southern California to avoid being a distraction. “But Concert Tour didn’t get his chance in the Derby, so this is his chance to shine. You’ve got to give them all a fair shot. The best horse will win.”

Don’t expect a racelong battle for the lead that could tax each horse.

“There are things about each horse, what they want to do and what they don’t want to do,” Baffert said last week. “I run horses together all the time. We’ll have a plan figured out. The break is so important.”

Medina Spirit drew the No. 3 post position, and Concert Tour the outside in the field of 10 for the 13⁄16mile Preakness — a sixteenth shorter than the Kentucky Derby.

“We anticipate that he and Concert Tour will be 12 early in the race,” said Gary Young, racing manager for Zedan Racing Stables, which owns Medina Spirit. “One will be in front, one is probably going to be second — unless someone alters their plan totally. And may the best horse win, whether it be one of those two horses or one of the other eight.”

One of those eight is expected to change plans: Midnight Bourbon. He rallied from 14th place to finish sixth in the Kentucky Derby after a slow start kept him from the pacepressing trip that trainer Steve Asmussen expected.

“Missing the break did not put him in the position necessary for him to have success,” Asmussen said. “From where he was he ran reasonably well but not good enough. Here we are with a lot of horse going into the Preakness and expecting a better outcome. He’s doing great, wonderful physically.”

Still, Saturday’s race goes through the Baffert duo, and a win by either would give the trainer a record eighth Preakness victory.