Brown barn on Cloud nine
Mechanicville native saddles Cloud Computing to Preakness win
BALTIMORE » Cloud Computing caught Classic Empire in the final strides Saturday to win the Preakness by a head.
The 13-1 long shot was one of five fresh horses in the race that didn’t run two weeks ago in the Kentucky Derby.
Derby winner Always Dreaming and Classic Empire dueled for most of the race before Classic Empire stuck his nose in front midway on the far turn. It looked as if Classic Empire would go on to win, but Cloud Computing ran him down on the outside.
Always Dreaming faded to eighth in the 10-horse field on a cool and cloudy day at Pimlico. A record crowd of 140,327 was on hand.
Ridden by Javier Castellano,
Cloud Computing ran 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.98 and paid $28.80, $8.60 and $6. It was just the dark brown colt’s second career victory.
Classic Empire returned $4.40 and $4, and 31-1 shot Senior Investment was another 4 ¾ lengths back in third and paid $10.20.
Trainer Chad Brown, a Mechanicville native, earned his first victory in a Triple Crown race. Coowner Bill Lawrence is a Shaker grad.
Castellano won for the second time. He rode Bernardini to victory in the 2006 Preakness.
The 142nd Preakness had been billed as a match race between Always Dreaming and Classic Empire, and it was from the start.
They broke out of the starting gate next to each other and the fight was on. Always Dreaming took a slight lead with Classic Empire on his flank.
Meanwhile, Cloud Computing was back in third as Castellano watched the duel unfold in front of him.
Always Dreaming was the first to throw in the towel, surrendering the lead to Classic Empire midway around the final turn.
Classic Empire and Julien Leparoux headed into the stretch with threelength lead, seemingly on his way to the winner’s circle.
But the colt also paid a price for putting away Always Dreaming. Classic Empire fought on to the finish line, but couldn’t hold off a fresh horse in Cloud Computing.
“Certainly I’m not going to dispute the fact that I brought in a fresh horse as part of our strategy,” Brown said. “Our horse is very talented, too. Classic Empire and Always Dreaming are two outstanding horses, and our strategy was, if we are ever going to beat them let’s take them on two weeks’ rest when we have six (weeks), and it worked.”
Lookin At Lee, the Derby runner-up, was fourth. Gunnevera was fifth, followed by Multiplier and Conquest Mo Money. Hence was ninth and Term of Art last.
Dixie
World Approval won the $250,000 Dixie, the oldest stakes race held at Pimlico Race Course.
The 5-year-old gray beat Projected by 2 ¼ lengths Saturday, improving his record to eight wins in 20 starts. The victory pushed his career earnings over $1.1 million.
Sir Barton
World Approval paid $7 to win. He ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.15 on the turf.
No Mo Dough survived a lengthy stewards’ inquiry to win the $100,000 Sir Barton Stakes for 3-year-olds at Pimlico.
Angled extremely wide by jockey Jose Ortiz turning for home, No Mo Dough cut sharply to the inside while launching his rally. The stewards ruled that no other runners were impeded by the move, and let the result stand.
No Mo Dough rolled to a 2 ¾-length victory over Time to Travel. He paid $20 to win for the 9-1 upset.
It was the third win in four races for the colt making his stakes debut and it gave trainer Graham Motion his second win of the day.
Maryland Sprint Stakes
Whitmore has found a home in sprint races.
A Triple Crown contender last year who finished 19th in the Kentucky Derby, Whitmore is 5 for 5 since shortening up to six furlongs.
He surged in the final strides to beat A.P. Indian by a half-length Saturday in the $150,000 Maryland Sprint Stakes at Pimlico.
Trained by Ron Moquett, the 4-year-old gelding was ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. He covered the distance in 1:09.90 and paid $4.40 to win as the 6-5 favorite.
Gallorette
In the $150,000 Gallorette Stakes for fillies and mares, Cambodia has earned her first stakes victory.
The 5-year-old ridden by Florent Geroux patiently stalked the pace set by 66-1 longshot Come to Mischief. Cambodia sprinted away from that tiring rival in the lane, powering to a two-length win over On Leave in the turf race.
Trained by Tom Proctor, Cambodia got her fourth win in 10 starts. She paid $11.20 to win.