Justify draws No. 7 post for 2018 Preakness Stakes

By NBC SportsMay 16, 2018, 5:44 PM EDT
Leave a comment

Justify will look to keep his Triple Crown dream alive from the No. 7 post as the 2018 Preakness Stakes draw was announced on Wednesday.

Justify, trained by Bob Baffert, enters this weekend’s race at Pimlico as the favorite with 1-2 odds. Good Magic, which finished second at the Kentucky Derby, will take the No. 5 post with 3-1 odds.

Preakness Stakes: What Time, Where to Watch and More

American Pharoah won from the No. 1 post in his quest for the Triple Crown in 2015.

Here’s the rest of the draw for the 143rd Preakness Stakes:

No. 1 – Quip
No. 2 – Lone Sailor
No. 3 – Sporting Chance
No. 4 – Diamond King
No. 5 – Good Magic
No. 6 – Tenfold
No. 7 – Justify
No. 8 – Bravazo

Preakness Stakes Schedule
What: 143rd Preakness Stakes
When: May 19th, 2018
Post Time: 6:48 p.m. ET
Where to Watch: NBC, NBC Sports App

Click for the full Preakness Stakes race weekend schedule.

Best Solution, Northern Ireland jockey win Caulfield Cup

Getty Images
Associated PressOct 20, 2018, 4:23 PM EDT
Leave a comment

MELBOURNE, Australia — Godolphin stable’s Best Solution won the Caulfield Cup in a photo finish ahead of American-bred Homesman, with The Cliffsofmoher finishing third on Saturday in the 2,400-meter race.

Ridden by Pat Cosgrave of Northern Ireland, Best Solution recovered from a bad start to follow Taj Mahal at 600 meters to go and hold on for the Group One win.

Cosgrave was later suspended by race stewards for 11 meetings for a careless riding charge.

The jockey decided to take his suspension immediately, which means he will miss the Cox Plate, another major lead-up race to the Melbourne Cup, Australia’s richest and most prestigious race on Nov. 6 at Flemington.

Cosgrave plans to ride in Dubai on Nov. 3 before returning to Melbourne to again partner Best Solution in the Melbourne Cup.

Cosgrave pleaded guilty to the charge that he allowed Best Solution to shift in near the 1,800-meter mark of the Caulfield Cup, tightening Japanese runner Sole Impact.

Japanese rider Ryusei Sakai was also suspended for causing interference at the same point of the Caulfield Cup when he too shifted ground when not clear. He was suspended for 11 meetings and is able to ride again on Oct. 31.

The victory gave trainer Saeed bin Suroor and Godolphin their second Caulfield Cup after All The Good won in 2008.

Pre-race favorite Kings Will Dream had a bad start to drop a couple of lengths and never recovered, finishing sixth after being caught in traffic.

Ex-jockey Valenzuela pleads guilty to domestic violence

Getty Images
Associated PressOct 19, 2018, 8:59 PM EDT
Leave a comment

VISTA, Calif. (AP) Famed former jockey Patrick Valenzuela has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence for slapping his girlfriend at a Southern California restaurant.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the seven-time Breeders Cup winner entered the plea earlier this week, was fined nearly $900 and ordered to take domestic violence recovery classes.

Prosecutors say Valenzuela slapped his girlfriend last month for hugging a bartender at a Carlsbad restaurant.

Valenzuela told the Union-Tribune by phone Friday that he is “very saddened” by the situation and added: “I will continue to strive to be the best person I can be.”

Valenzuela had more than 4,300 winning races, including the 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness. He’s struggled with drug and alcohol abuse and lost his California racing license. He last raced in 2016.