The 2019 Triple Crown series will resume this coming May 18th at the Pimlico Race Course, where the 144th edition of the Preakness Stakes will take place. The winner of the 2019 Kentucky Derby, Country House, is out of the running due to illness, but even if not he wouldn’t likely have notched a Preakness Stakes victory, largely because most believe his win at Churchill Downs was a mere fluke – a product of technicality that could have been let go and neglected altogether. So who are the favorites? You’ll find the answer to that here. But now, we turn our attention to three sleepers who could make noise at the upcoming 2019 Preakness Stakes.
Owendale could the sleeper who’ll wake everybody up at Pimlico Race Course. Owendale had success in his most recent outing, besting all competitors at the Lexington Grade 3 stakes. Riding on that momentum, the horse owned by Rupp Racing and trained by Brad Cox will be looking to make waves when he breaks out of the gatte at the 2019 Preakness. The win at Lexington was a huge bounce back performance for Owendale, who was then coming off a forgettable eighth-place finish at the Risen Star Grade 2 stakes. Owendale has two wins with four shows in five career races. His other win was an allowance race at Fair Grounds back in January. If anything, Owendale has Triple Crown running through his veins as he’s part of the bloodline of Triple Crown winners in Secretariat and Seattle Slew.
Anothertwistafates skipped the Kentucky Derby largely becaue trainer Blaine Wright wants his horse as fresh as possible for the 2019 Preakness, per Jonathan Linter of Horseracing Nation:
“Our horse is pretty well-traveled,” he said. “We felt like we’ve got the ‘Win and You’re In’ to the Preakness. If we put up all that money to go in the Derby and he ran bad, the Preakness is back in two weeks. That wasn’t going to be ideal for us.”
That’s a bold decision, but one that has the potential to pay off big time at Pimlico Race Course. Anothertwistafate has been hot in his last few races. He was 23rd on the points list of the 2019 Kentucky Derby and has finished inside the top two in six of seven career races. He won the El Camino Real Derby, an allowance race, and a maiden special weights race, He also placed second at the Sunland Derby Grade 3 stakes and at the Lexington Grade 3 stakes behind Owendale.
Alwaysmining (+600)
Alwaysmining has won a lot of races. A lot. However, none of his wins came during a graded stakes race, so the 2019 Preakness Stakes gives him a golden opportunity to prove he can dominate in such a competition. Alwaysmining has won all of his last six races. In his most recent start, Alwaysmining, who is being trained by Kelley Rubley, topped the Federico Tesio at Laurel Park, thus giving him a ticket to join the Preakness.
Rubley was blown away by what he saw from Alwaysmining during a work at Fair Hill, according to Blood Horse.
“I actually thought it was a perfect work—out in :12 and change and finished up in :11. He went a nice :49 and out in 1:01. We’re very happy,” Rubley said. “I’d say his confidence level continues to improve. My rider thought he was a bit aggressive today, which is great to hear.”
The last horse to win at Tesio and at the Preakness was Deputed Testamony in 1983. Maybe it’s Alwaysmining who will end that drought.
