WHERE THERE IS A WILL

War of Will wins the Preakness for trainer Mark Casse and jockey Tyler Gaffalione

If at first you don’t succeed, try the Preakness.

Owner Gary Barber, trainer Mark Casse and jockey Tyler Gaffalione had nothing but faith and their horse had the will to capture the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.

Starting out in third position and slipping to fourth, War of Will took the rail all the way to capture Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.

The horses broke out together, with the exception of Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez who was bucked off Bodexpress at 22.50 for the quarter mile. The half mile was clocked at 46.26 seconds with War of Will still at the rail.

At the far turn War of Will moved into third as the group hit the 1:10.56 mark as the horses moved three and four wide.

Warriors Charge led into the top of the stretch before War of Will casually took over the lead from the rail, this time unimpeded to the front by two lengths, but nothing stood in his way in 1:54.34.

It was the first classic victory for trainer Mark Casse

and War of Will who finished second in the Kentucky Derby, cut off by Maximum Security but maintained a clean ride Saturday to win the second leg of the Triple Crown.

War of Will finished in front of Everfast, Owendale and Warrior’s Charge.

“I’m just so happy for Mark (Casse) and his team, they do a fabulous job,” jockey Tyler Gaffalione said. “Mr. Barber he’s always given me so many opportunities and I’m just so thankful for that. Very happy for the horse, he deserved it more anything, he’s so special.

“He’s got so much heart, I knew he had the ability we just had to get a little bit lucky and today was our day.”

Just two weeks after being impeded at the Kentucky Derby, Casse was far from bitter about the incident and appreciative about Saturday’s Preakness win.

“We almost got it done a couple of years ago and this is even more special given everything we’ve been through,” Mark Casse said. “I thought we were lucky, I was the luckiest guy and the only one luckier was horse racing because we were this close to you never seeing him (War of Will) again.”

Casse refused to call the Preakness victory a redemption for himself or War of Will.

“I didn’t feel like he got his fair shot and that’s all I wanted, a fair shot and he showed what he had today,” Casse said.

STEVE HELBER - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Jockey Tyler Gaffalione, right, reacts aboard War of Will, as they crosses the finish line first to win the Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, May 18, 2019, in Baltimore.

WILL NEWTON - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Mark Casse, trainer of Preakness Stakes entrant War of Will, watches Thursday, May 16, 2019, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The Preakness Stakes horse race is scheduled to take place Saturday, May 18.