Shackleford nabs Preakness

By Staff Report May 22, 2011

Shackleford scuttled the chances for a 2011 Triple Crown, as the first to cross the wire at the 136th running of the $1 million Preakness Stakes, May 21 at the Pimlico race course in Baltimore. He beat the favorite, Kentucky Derby-winner Animal Kingdom, by a half-length, as the race unfolded before 107,398 fans.

The chestnut colt overcame 12-to-1 odds, covering the one-and-three-sixteenths-mile race in 1:56.47. Running at 2-to-1, Animal Kingdom made a heroic eleventh-hour rally and appeared poised to overtake the Shackleford and jockey Jesus Castanon had the race been a bit longer. Drawing the unfortunate 11th post position might have been the deciding factor.

“He has a high cruising speed,” said Shackleford trainer Dale Romans, asked afterwards if he thought the fast early pace would take its toll on his colt in the homestretch. “We weren’t worried about slowing it down as much as getting him into a good rhythmic pace and let him keep on going.” Shackleford ran most of the Preakness in second place, just behind Flashpoint, who finished last in the field of 14. Two weeks prior Shackleford alsobriefly led the Derby field before finishing fourth.

The Preakness was the first Triple Crown race victory for Dale Romans, a second-generation horse-trainer. Owner-breeders Michael Lauffer and W. D. Cubbedge of Eastern Kentucky were presented the coveted Woodlawn trophy.

Judging by the performance at the post parade, few could have predicted Shackleford was on his way to victory. The sweat-soaked horse was combative and refused to enter the starting gate at his No. 5 position. Once underway, he was all business. “He was a little hot in the beginning, but he was able to calm down,” Castanon said. “He’s a good horse and was able to handle it.”

The Preakness loss for Animal Kingdom marked 33 years since the last Triple Crown winner, Affirmed, swept all three races in 1978. Amazingly, 1977 also saw Seattle Slew emerge king of the Triple Crown. The decade also had a Tri-Crown winner in Secretariat (1973). Only the ‘40s had a better showing, with four Triple Crown victors. The three-decade Triple Crown dry spell is the longest ever. It had only been 25 years from Citation’s three-race victory in 1948 to Secretariat’s triumph.

See the Preakness here courtesy of NBC Sports: http:////nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/43121955/ns/sports-horse_racing/” For a complete list of Triple Crown winners and near-misses, visit: http://www.horse-races.net/library/tcrown-info.htm

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