Le Pays De France - Early Voting wins 147th Preakness Stakes

Well-rested after sitting out the Kentucky Derby, Early Voting validated the decision by trainer Chad Brown and owner Seth Klarman to skip the first jewel of US flat racing's Triple Crown.

"They had enough points to run in the Derby and they passed," said jockey Joel Ortiz. "It's hard to get an owner to pass on the Derby and they did the right choice by the horse.

"I didn't think he was seasoned enough to run in that 20 horse field and they proved that they were right today."

On a sultry evening in Baltimore, where temperatures hit 94 F (34 C), Early Voting broke smartly out of the fifth post, then sat tight as Armagnac took the lead with Epicenter and fancied filly Secret Oath bringing up the rear of the nine-horse field.

Ortiz took Early Voting to the lead on the turn for home and repelled the challenge of Epicenter, who second 1 1/2 lengths behind.

Creative Minister was third and Secret Oath, trained by six-time Preakness winner D. Wayne Lukas, fourth.

"Honestly, I was never worried," said Brown, who saddled Preakness winner Cloud Computing for Klarman in 2017.

"I thought on the backside it was going to take a good horse to beat us. And a good horse did run up on us near the wire and that was about the only one that could run up on us."

But it was a second straight disappointment for Epicenter and trainer Steve Asmussen -- although not perhaps as bitter a blow as being beaten at the wire in the Kentucky Derby by 80-1 longshot Rich Strike in the greatest Derby upset since 91-1 shot Donerail won in 1913.

Sent off as a 7-5 favorite under jockey Joel Rosario, Epicenter was making a strong late move but just didn't have enough to overtake Early Voting.

Asmussen had hoped that Epicenter could mimic the 2007 season of his Preakness winner Curlin, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby but came back to win at Pimlico on the way to an outstanding campaign that included a Breeders' Cup Classic win.

None in the field had Rich Strike to contend with, after the surprise Kentucky Derby winner's connections opted out of the Preakness to rest him for the Belmont Stakes.

Klarman didn't immediately commit Early Voting to the third Triple Crown race in New York next month. While noting that the colt has "gotten better every race" he said he wasn't yet convinced he could get the 1 1/2-mile Belmont distance.

Rich Strike's absence from the Preakness meant there would not be a Triple Crown winner for a fourth straight year. Only 13 horses have completed the coveted treble.

(H.Leroy--LPdF)