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Close, but no crown
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Shackleford, front right, ridden by Jesus Castanon, moves to the finish line to win the 36th Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Baltimore. Animal Kingdom, left, ridden by John Velazquez, took second place.
AP
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** RETRANSMISSION FOR ALTERNATE CROP ** Shackleford (5), ridden by Jesus Castanon, moves through the finish line to win the 136th Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Baltimore. Animal Kingdom, behind, ridden by John Velazquez, took second place.
Animal Kingdom loses to Shackleford — barely
Staff/wire report
BALTIMORE
Soaked with sweat, Shackleford bucked and kicked until crewmen finally shoved him into the No. 5 gate at the Preakness.
One ton of horseflesh all but screamed, “Get me out of here.”
Less than two minutes after the gate sprang open, the nervous colt was a cool classic winner.
Shackleford held off a late charge by the 2-1 favorite Animal Kingdom, spoiling yet another Triple Crown try and beating the Kentucky Derby winner by a half-length Saturday at Pimlico.
The chestnut colt, who led into the stretch in the Derby two weeks ago, finished the job at 12-1 odds, covering the 13/16 miles in 1:56.47.
Animal Kingdom is owned by Team Valor International, a syndicate that includes Canfield’s Bruce Zoldan.
“We’re certainly proud of Animal Kingdom and we are very, very comfortable feeling he’s the best 3-year-old colt in the country,” Zoldan said. “If the race was a just little longer, he would have done it.”
With jockey Jesus Castanon aboard, Shackleford battled Flashpoint for the lead until midway on the final turn and then dug in to hold off the onrushing Animal Kingdom before 107,398 fans.
“He was a little hot in the beginning, but he was able to calm down,” Castanon said. “He’s a good horse and able to handle it.”
It was the first victory in a Triple Crown race for Castanon and trainer Dale Romans, a Louisville, Ky., native, who watched Shackleford finish fourth in the Derby.
Shackleford’s pre-race antics weren’t unusual. He often gets nervous and sweats excessively, not normally a good thing on a day when temperatures hit the 80s in sunny Baltimore.
“He wasn’t acting that bad. It’s a hot day, so that wasn’t worrying me too much. I was more concerned at the quarter-pole if he was going to hold on,” said Romans, who had one Breeders’ Cup victory and a win in the $6 million Dubai World Cup to his credit in his long career.
“I’ve won some big races, but none as exciting as that one,” he said, meaning the Preakness, where he finished second last year with First Dude.
“For as hard as he ran in the Derby and to come back, Dale did a fantastic job with him,” said trainer Bob Baffert, a five-time Preakness winner. “I’m happy for Dale because the poor guy ran second last year with First Dude and it looked like he had it won. He did a great training job.”
Shackleford paid $27.20, $10.20 and $6.80.
Animal Kingdom returned $4.20 and $3.60. Astrology paid $8 to show.
Dialed In was fourth after finishing eighth in the Derby as the beaten favorite.
Once again, fans’ hopes to see a Triple Crown winner at long last will have to wait until next year.
The last horse to sweep the Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes was Affirmed in 1978. Big Brown was the last to attempt a Triple, in 2008.
Trainer Graham Motion, full of hope and expectation at the start of the race, looked on glumly as Animal Kingdom couldn’t catch Shackleford in time.
“He ran huge. I was hoping he was going to get there,” said Motion, who had kept the Derby winner at his stable 60 miles away in the Maryland countryside until race morning.
Zoldan said his feelings were mixed.
“When it was over, there was a big downturn,” said Zoldan who watched the race with Team Valor CEO Barry Irwin near the finish line. “But we were in one of the greatest positions that anybody in the Sport of Kings could be in, the chance for Triple Crown.”
Zoldan said coming so close stung.
“It hurts more so than not being in the race,” Zoldan said. “But we’re enjoying the moment, and hope to move on.”
Zoldan said Irwin will check on Animal Kingdom’s health today and then make a decision early in the week on entering Animal Kingdom in the Belmont Stakes.
At the start, Animal Kingdom and Dialed In, the second favorite, were running at the back of the 14-horse field.
“I kind of had to hustle him out of there,” Velazquez said. “We lost a lot of ground in the first turn.”
Velazquez tore through multiple sets of goggles as the dirt kicked back into Animal Kingdom’s face, which he clearly didn’t like.
“He broke so far back the dirt started hitting him,” the jockey said. “He had to make up too much ground.”