2015 Preakness Stakes

The 2015 Preakness Stakes, (run as the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes due to sponsorship[1]), was the 140th running of the Preakness Stakes, promoted as the "middle jewel"[2] of thoroughbred horse racing's traditional Triple Crown, held two weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks before the Belmont Stakes. The race was held at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 16, 2015, and was televised on NBC.

140th Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes[1]
"The Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown"
"The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans"
LocationPimlico Race Course,
Baltimore, Maryland,
United States
DateMay 16, 2015
Winning horseAmerican Pharoah
JockeyVictor Espinoza
TrainerBob Baffert
OwnerZayat Stables, LLC
ConditionsSloppy
SurfaceDirt
AttendanceIncrease 131,680 (record at the time)

The event carried a $1,500,000 purse.[2] The winner was American Pharoah, who won by seven lengths with jockey Victor Espinoza aboard.[3] The win by American Pharoah set up an attempt for the Triple Crown for the second time in two years. The Maryland Jockey Club reported a track record total attendance of 131,680, the second highest attendance for American thoroughbred racing events in North America during 2015.[4]

Pre-race

Trainer Bob Baffert confirmed on May 3 that the 2015 Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah came out of the Derby in good health and would be running the Preakness Stakes.[5] The connections of the other top three finishers, Firing Line and Dortmund, announced they would challenge in the event.[6]

Two contenders that did not appear in the Kentucky Derby were announced as probable entrants in late April: Grade III Lexington Stakes winner Divining Rod (owned by Lael Stable, trained by Arnaud Delacour, bred by Mr. and Mrs. Roy Jackson, ridden by jockey Julien Leparoux) and Listed Stakes Federico Tesio Stakes winner at Pimlico Bodhisattva (owned and trained by Jose Corrales, ridden by jockey Trevor McCarthy).[6]

A week prior to the Preakness, other contenders were announced. These included fifth-placed Kentucky Derby competitor Danzig Moon and the also-eligible Tale of Verve who did not start in the Derby.[7]

The draw for the race was held on May 13 and eight horses were entered.[8] This was the smallest field in 15 years.[9] American Pharoah drew the pole position and was installed as the morning line favorite.[10] All entries carried 126 pounds.[1][11]

Race description
A thunderstorm before the race made the dirt track very muddy.
American Pharoah led throughout the race.

Immediately prior to post time, the skies opened up with a heavy downpour and thunder, changing the track conditions.[12] The infield and grandstands were evacuated shortly before post time due to concerns about spectators being struck by lightning.[13] The last time the Preakness had been run on a sloppy track was in 1983.[14] American Pharoah was the only horse in the field to have previously won under such conditions, having won the Rebel Stakes on a sloppy track.[15] He had the lead within the first quarter-mile and was challenged by Mr. Z early on, but held the lead on the inside throughout the race. He was challenged by Dortmund and then Divining Rod, but American Pharoah broke from the pack in the homestretch and won by seven lengths, as Tale of Verve made a strong rally to overtake Divining Rod to place. Firing Line slipped badly at the start and was eased in the stretch.[1] Baffert commented on American Pharoah's race, "when I saw those ears go up [on the backside of the track], I thought, ‘Oh, yeah. Oh yeah.’” The win by American Pharoah set up an attempt for the Triple Crown for the second time in two years.[12]

Due to weather conditions, the winning time of 1:58.46 was the slowest time since Hill Prince won in 1950 with a time of 1:59.20, and well off the record, set by Secretariat in 1973, of 1:53.00.[16] The intensity of the rain was described in a post-race interview by Firing Line's rider, Gary Stevens, who explained that he weighed in at 120 pounds with equipment prior to the race, but was 135 pounds afterwards—without his helmet—and needed to empty water out of his riding boots following his weigh-out. Stevens added that the conditions made little difference to the outcome, however, saying "it would take a super horse to beat what might be a super horse in American Pharoah."[17]

The city of Baltimore had been in a state of tension due to the death of Freddie Gray and surrounding civil disorder, and the Preakness was the state's major one-day sporting event, viewed as critical in the healing process for the city. Concerns existed because the track was only three miles from the Mondawmin Mall, where there had been riots. Pimlico's former vice-president for communications, Mike Gathagan, stated to ESPN, "I think sports, like ... the Preakness can help bring back normalcy...It could help start the healing process..."[18] Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, in awarding the traditional Woodlawn Vase replica to American Pharoah's owner, Ahmed Zayat, stated, "It's a great day for Baltimore, a great day for Maryland."[19] Comparing the 2015 Preakness to the post-9/11 home run of Mike Piazza, ESPN's Bob Ehalt wrote, "for that reason alone, this could be the biggest and most important Preakness ever."[18]

The full chart
Finish
Position		Margin
(lengths)		Post
Position		Horse nameJockeyTrainerOwnerMorning Line
Odds		Post Time
Odds		Stakes
1 0 1 American Pharoah Victor Espinoza Bob Baffert Zayat Stables, LLC 4-5 0.90 $900,000
2 7 5 Tale of Verve Brian Hernandez, Jr. Dallas Stewart Charles E. Fipke 30-1 28.50 $300,000
3 8 7 Divining Rod Javier Castellano Arnaud Delacour Lael Stables 12-1 12.60 $165,000
4 15+1⁄2 2 Dortmund Martin Garcia Bob Baffert Kaleem Shah 7-2 4.50 $90,000
5 17+1⁄4 3 Mr. Z Ramon A. Vazquez D. Wayne Lukas Calumet Farm 20-1 16.40 $45,000
6 18+1⁄4 4 Danzig Moon Julien Leparoux Mark E. Casse John C. Oxley 15-1 13.40
7 45 8 Firing Line Gary Stevens Simon Callaghan Arnold Zetcher, LLC 4-1 3.00
8 48+1⁄4 6 Bodhisattva Trevor McCarthy Jose Corrales Jose Corrales 20-1 29.90
  • Winning owner and breeder: Zayat Stables, LLC
  • Final time: 1:58.46[1]
  • Margins: 7 lengths, 1 length[1]
  • Track: Sloppy
  • Attendance: 131,680

Payout

The 140th Preakness payout schedule[1]

PgmHorseWinPlaceShow
1 American Pharoah $3.80 $3.40 $2.80
5 Tale of Verve – $19.00 $8.80
7 Divining Rod – – $5.20
  • $2 Exacta (1-5) $124.40
  • $2 Trifecta (1-5-7) $985.00
  • $1 Superfecta (1-5-7-2) $1,906.90

See also

References
  1. "Pimlico Race 13 May 16, 2015" (PDF). Equibase. May 16, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  2. "Press release", Pimlico Race Course Preakness web site, February 18, 2015.
  3. Hoppert, Melissa (May 16, 2015). "Preakness 2015: American Pharoah Wins Second Leg of Triple Crown". The New York Times. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  4. 2015 Preakness Stakes Media Guide; page 97.
  5. Fine, Larry (May 3, 2015). "American Pharoah rules Derby, next stop Preakness". Reuters. Yahoo Sports. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  6. Mitchell, Ron (April 29, 2015). "Tale of Verve Among 22 Entered for KY Derby". Blood-Horse.com. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  7. Blood-Horse Staff (May 11, 2015). "Preakness Stakes Hopefuls Remain On Target". Blood-Horse.com. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  8. Mitchell, Ron (May 13, 2015). "Mr. Z Bought by Calumet, Entered in Preakness". Blood-Horse.com. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  9. Associated Press. "American Pharoah Heads Small Field of 8 Horses in Preakness". ABC News. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  10. LaMarra, Tom (May 13, 2015). "American Pharoah Draws Post 1 for Preakness". Blood-Horse. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  11. "Results - Horse Racing - Daily Racing Form". Daily Racing Form. May 16, 2015. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  12. Bossert, Jerry (May 16, 2015). "Preakness Stakes: American Pharoah races to victory in driving rain to set up Triple Crown shot at Belmont". The Daily News (New York). Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  13. Payne, Marissa (May 16, 2015). "Preakness infield evacuated due to lightning, but the race went on". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  14. "Live updates: Preakness Stakes 2015 – American Pharoah breezes to win, Triple Crown hopes alive". AL.com. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  15. "2015 Preakness Stakes forecast: How does American Pharoah run on sloppy track? (VIDEO)". NJ.com. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  16. Hegarty, Matt (June 19, 2012). "Secretariat awarded Preakness record at 1:53 after review". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  17. "Stevens: It would take a super horse to beat a super horse". NBC Sports. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  18. Ehalt, Bob (May 16, 2015). "Preakness has added importance for Baltimore". ESPN. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  19. "American Pharoah team accepts Preakness trophy". NBC Sports. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
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