Sun Preakness archive

Preakness

2007: Curlin uncoils down stretch

Coming down the frontstretch, the nine-horse race for victory in the 132nd Preakness at Pimlico Race Course yesterday turned into a match race.

2006: Barbaro's race ends in injury

A spectacular day of racing turned catastrophic when Barbaro, a 3-year-old colt with a seemingly clear path to the Triple Crown, broke down in the first furlong of the 131st Preakness Stakes yesterday and was fighting for his life last night.

'Afleet' keeps feet

After a frightening, lightning-quick incident on the final turn nearly knocked him off his feet, the nimble and powerful Afleet Alex rocketed to victory in the 130th Preakness Stakes before a record crowd of 115,318 yesterday at Pimlico Race Course.

Smarty Jones romps by record 11 1/2 lengths

Sure, Smarty Jones entered the Kentucky Derby unbeaten. But questions persisted about the quality of the horses he'd beaten.

Funny Cide wins 2nd jewel in rout

Funny Cide arrived at Pimlico Race Course on Friday a Kentucky Derby winner with something to prove. He departed last night the emphatic winner of the Preakness, with vindication, new respect and one last hurdle to surmount.

`Emblem' stays on Triple track

For the eighth time since 1978 when Affirmed became the 11th Triple Crown winner, the Preakness will send a horse to the Belmont Stakes with a chance of capturing racing's holy grail.

'Given' gets redemption

After failing in the Kentucky Derby to fulfill lofty promise, Point Given redeemed himself yesterday in the Preakness by scoring a decisive victory with a cruel twist.

Speeding Bullet

If you listen to history, history whispers that 11 have prevailed - only 11.

Charisma times two

On a sparkling spring afternoon at Pimlico, when the scary combined with the sublime, Charismatic captured the 124th Preakness Stakes yesterday before a record crowd of 100,311 and immediately set his sights on history.

The real deal

On a day when Pimlico turned surreal, Real Quiet, the crooked-legged horse nicknamed "The Fish," unleashed a run toward history.After a power outage crippled Pimlico, creating bizarre scenes that will long live in memory, Real Quiet ran down Victory Gallop in the stretch to win the 123rd Preakness Stakes. Real Quiet became the second horse in as many years to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

Triple threat

In the closest three-horse Preakness finish in 65 years, Silver Charm edged Free House who nipped Captain Bodgit -- about three feet separated them -- in yesterday's 122nd renewal of the classic race at Pimlico Race Course.In winning one of the most thrilling races in the history of the Triple Crown series, Silver Charm became the first horse since Sunday Silence in 1989 to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Sunday Silence lost the Belmont to Easy Goer.

High five for Day

After crossing the finish line, after one streak had ended and another one had been extended, Pat Day fired his left fist into the air. He spread his fingers as wide as he could.Five.

Wayne's World

D. Wayne Lukas' grip on the Triple Crown gathered strength once again in Baltimore yesterday, when Timber Country's stalled career got back on track with a win in the 120th Preakness.The chestnut colt, called the "Big Red Train" by Thunder Gulch jockey Gary Stevens, swooped by his Kentucky Derby-winning stablemate at the sixteenth pole under jockey Pat Day, then held off a surprise late run on the rail by Maryland-bred champion Oliver's Twist.

Top cat

In a memorable stretch duel in the 119th Preakness Stakes, Tabasco Cat defeated Kentucky Derby winner Go For Gin by three-quarters of a length yesterday and reversed the misfortunes of the D. Wayne Lukas stable. Five months ago, Tabasco Cat trampled and nearly killed Lukas' 36-year-old son, Jeff.

Bayou-tiful win

Prairie Bayou escaped a near brush with disaster yesterday and won the first Preakness Stakes in modern times in which a horse suffered a fatal injury. The death of Union City, who had to be humanely destroyed after fracturing sesamoid bones in his right front ankle, shrouded the achievement of Loblolly Stable, which seems jinxed in the Kentucky Derby, but won the Preakness for the second time in two years. The race also marked the defeat of Kentucky Derby winner Sea Hero, who finished fifth and squelched any chance of a 1993 Triple Crown winner.

No bluffing

A horse that had been scorned by jockeys, but was loved by the bettors won the 117th running of the Preakness yesterday at Pimlico Race Course. Pine Bluff became only the second favorite in the last decade to win the race and spoiled the Triple Crown hopes of Lil E. Tee. The Kentucky Derby winner, who bled, according to his trainer, Lynn Whiting, finished fifth.

Hansel's tale has happy ending

With a race as brilliant as his Kentucky Derby effort was bad, Hansel gained a dramatic measure of redemption with a seven-length victory in the 116th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course yesterday. Ridden by Jerry Bailey, the 9-1 shot cruised to the front in the final turn of the 1 3/16-mile classic, then steadily pulled away to a stunninbg triumph over Corporate Report in 1 minute, 54 seconds.