Preakness 138: The Day in Pictures

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Oxbow wins the Preakness

There's your gate-to-wire winner, Oxbow, taking the 138th edition of the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course. I moved around most of the morning spending time in and around Old Hilltop trying to snap a few pictures for the 'ole blog. I was live blogging from mid-afternoon through the Dixie for The News and luckily that was during the heavy misting. My recap for The News for this morning's paper can be found here.

It was a fun, but exhausting weekend in Baltimore, my third year covering the race and I watched from the winner's circle for the first time instead of the perch up in the press box. One thing I saw before the race was the trouble that Govenor Charlie's handlers were having with his bridle when taking him out to the track. More than one F-bomb was being thrown at the person who was responsible for securing it in the paddock. They struggled for a good 90 seconds trying to get it on and the horse was none too happy about it. You can see it in a picture I captured below.

While the pace of the race was dawdling through the six furlong mark, the big surprise to me was that no one challenged Oxbow in the early going to keep him honest. Maybe they were just freaked by the hot pace of the Derby and the havoc it presented. I didn't have Oxbow, I liked him on the Triple Crown trail based on his pedigree to go long (probably one of the top two), but just got spooked by his inability to win and to sometimes find trouble. Oh well, that's why they call it gambling.

Here are some pictures (click to enlarge) from Saturday's travels...

The Jagermeister Stage in the Infield

InfieldFest

Pitbull on the Main Stage

Space Gal's required Celebrity Photo:
Gene Simmons & Shannon Tweed

Johnny V on Summer Applause
for Chad Brown

Oxbow heads to the indoor paddock

The jockeys cross over to the saddling area

Kevin Krigger in full jog mode

Rosie and Johnny V

Julien Leparoux in the "Green Bay" silks

Baff

Hall of Famer and legendary Notre Damer
Paul Hornung in the trackside winners circle

Doug O'Neill

Derby winner Orb

Oxbow

Govenor Charlie's handlers having
some issues

Itsmyluckyday

Post Parade: Orb

Post Parade: Goldencents

Post Parade: Titletown Five

Post Parade: Departing

Post Parade: Mylute

Post Parade: Oxbow

Post Parade: Will Take Charge

Post Parade: Govenor Charlie

Post Parade: Itsmyluckyday

NBC's Donna Barton Brothers

D. Wayne Lukas - "Hey There!"

DWL and Ms. Racing Queen (to the right)

First time by - Oxbow loose on the lead

That's a wrap from Baltimore...back in a New York minute for the Belmont.

Black-Eyed Susan Day: The Day in Pictures

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That's Fiftyshadesofhay with jockey Joel Rosario up for trainer Bob Baffert after winning the 89th running of the Grade 2 $500,000 Black-Eyed Susan (BES) Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. I arrived yesterday morning and moved around the track all day enjoying the brilliant sunshine and great day of racing that Pimlico serves up on the eve of the Preakness Stakes.

My recap on the BES for The Buffalo News can be found here. In the finale, Bona Venture Stables' Summer of Fun lost a photo in the Old Hilltop Stakes. I spoke with managing partner Dan Collins this morning who said "She came out fine, a little tired. She's just got to learn to keep the lead, that's twice now." She'll likely point towards the Virginia Oaks at Colonial or the Lake George at Saratoga later this summer.

It's a little overcast, but hoping any rain showers will hold off for today. the infield is starting to fill up and the first race goes off at 10:45 a.m. on what is the longest day of racing of the year. Later today I'll be live blogging (starting around 3:00 p.m. at the Sports, Ink blog.

I went with Orb in this morning's paper, but will be protecting against a second place finish with some exacta boxes and perhaps a trifecta keying him in second, should something go awry or if he has to play catch up a la Animal Kingdom.

Here's a look at some pictures from yesterday's travels...

Marathon Lady - second in BES,
Robby Albarado up

Toasting - West Point Thoroughbreds
Javier Castellano in the irons

Fiftyshadesofhay wins the BES

Bob Baffert

Shug McGaughey and Bill Mott

Emotional Kitten - Old Hilltop winner
Joel Rosario aboard for the Ramseys

Chad Brown and Castellano discuss
Premier Step's trip

Doug O'Neill after the Old Hilltop
with Birdlover

View from the Turfside Terrace
one of the best in all of racing

Orb on Preakness morning
in traditional stall 40

That's a wrap on the Black-Eyed Susan....good luck everyone.

Preakness 2012: Day in Pictures

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No. 9 was the magic number on Saturday

It was a perfect ending to a perfect day in sunny Baltimore. For the eighth time in the last 15 years we'll have an opportunity to witness a candidate in Elmont, NY for the final leg of the elusive Triple Crown of racing. We posted our recap for TBN after the race and sat back and enjoyed an ice cold Budweiser on the balcony of the press box and soaked in the breeze that was blowing up to the fourth floor of Pimlico Race Course.

I had another terrific experience in Baltimore, and explored the track a little more than in the past. I spent some time in the grandstand, the Sports Palace (not sure I was supposed to be in there), the clubhouse, the Turf Terrace and of course, the Infield. It was packed to the gills in the infield, but everyone seemed to be pretty civilized and having a good time. I think the bands they brought in this year helped with the type of crowd that showed up Saturday afternoon.

I once again sat next to Capitals beat writer Steve Whyno, who was a pleasure to be with all weekend, who covers the Preakness for the Washington Times. It's always fun to chat NHL with him as well as the ponies.

We live blogged the day, in between visiting with K-Mart, the Beer Man, Teresa, NJ Derek and Matt from Kentucky, who I enjoyed dinner with later in the evening at the Airport Hilton, my bar of choice post-Preakness.

I was pretty fortunate at the windows (see live blog - not easy to put yourself out there) where I hit the late Pick-4 and gave out the Preakness trifecta (who doesn't like doubling their money?), but had to eat humble pie with my pick in the paper, Went The Day Well, who finished 10th. Both Whyno and I picked him to win, and we both said "ruh roh" when he took off from his stable pony during the post parade and ran off. Oh well -- that's why they call it gambling. The Belmont is usually a wagering bloodbath for me, hopefully I can keep the mojo going.

The one thing I didn't do, that I have before the last two Preaknesses was to buy a souvenir $2 win ticket on I'll Have Another. It failed miserably for Super Saver and Animal Kingdom, so I guess I'll have to not buy one on Belmont Day. I wouldn't want to jinx the Flower Alley colt with a chance to enter legendary status.

Here are some pictures from the day....

Gate break in the Gallorette

Zagora was all the best for Chad Brown
in the Grade 3 Gallorette

Gate break for Race 4 with promising 3-year-olds
4-Paynter and 3-Brimstone Island

Paynter runs away from Brimstone Island
to earn a triple digit Beyer

Time to enter InfieldFEST

Party atmosphere in the Infield

More revelry

180 degree turn - under the tent
in the Turf Terrace

View of a turf race in the
Turf Terrace - pretty sweet view

Clare Skies Ahead
sores to victory in an allowance race

Just dropping in - don't mind me

Clogged?

Grandstand view

Loading for the James W. Murphy
1 mile turf race

D. Wayne Lukas' 2-Skyring (8-1) upsets the
Murphy to kick off the Pick-4

They say anything goes at
the Preakness

3-Hudson Steele was all the best
for the Toddster in the Grade 2 Dixie

9-I'll Have Another in the paddock

6-Creative Cause in the post parade

7-Bodemeister arrives on the scene

9-I'll Have Another

They're off in Preakness 137

Running past the Grandstand
for the first time



9-I'll Have Another starts his move past 7-Bodemeister

 That's a wrap from Baltimore, hope you enjoyed my ride.