Preakness Stakes 2020 preview: What to know about Saturday’s race

By Mia ZanzucchiSep 25, 2020, 12:45 AM EDT

An uncertain and historic Triple Crown draws to a close in October, months after it would normally end.

The 2020 Preakness Stakes, which was moved from Saturday, May 16 to Saturday, Oct. 3 (NBC, 4:30 to 6 p.m. ET), will be the race’s 145th running. The $1 million race will also air live on NBCSports.com and on the NBC Sports app. Post time is set for approximately 5:40 p.m. ET.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no fans in the stands at the Preakness.

Kentucky Derby champ Authentic is expected to run in the Preakness even though there isn’t a Triple Crown on the line. His biggest competitor could come in the form of Louisville-based Art Collector, who was a major Derby contender before he was scratched just days before the race because of a minor foot issue. Authentic is the betting favorite.

Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law is bypassing the Preakness to rest up and prepare for the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Keeneland.

What is the Preakness Stakes?

The Preakness Stakes is traditionally the second leg of the American Triple Crown of horse racing, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Preakness concludes the three-race series this year.

Like the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, it’s a Grade 1 Thoroughbred stakes races. The Preakness is 9.5 furlongs, or 1 3/16th miles long.

When is the 2020 Preakness Stakes?

The 145th Preakness Stakes is on Saturday, Oct. 3. Coverage begins on NBC, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app at 4:30 p.m. ET. Post time is set for approximately 5:40 p.m. ET.

Where is the 2020 Preakness Stakes?

The Preakness is run on the dirt track at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The race was first run in 1873 at Pimlico, but then moved to Morris Park Racecourse (now closed) in the Bronx, wasn’t run for three years, then jumped to Gravesend Race Track (also closed) at Coney Island before returning to Baltimore in 1909, where it’s stayed ever since.

How can I watch the 2020 Preakness Stakes?

NBC Sports is home to the 145th Preakness Stakes, providing comprehensive race coverage and analysis live on NBC, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app before, during and after the main event. Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. ET. Click here for more info on how to watch.

Who are the horses to watch?

There’s no Triple Crown on the line, but Kentucky Derby champ Authentic is the early favorite in the 2020 Preakness. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Authentic went wire-to-wire to hold off heavy betting favorite Tiz the Law. He also won the G1 Haskell in July and was second in the G1 Santa Anita Derby (his only career loss). He’s amassed almost $3 million in his six career starts. It’s been a roller coaster year for Baffert, but an Authentic win would be his eighth Preakness Stakes win, which would break his current tie with R. Wyndham Walden for all-time wins by a trainer.
Authentic’s biggest competition could come from the well rested Art Collector, who was hot on the Derby trail until a minor foot issue knocked him out. The colt, whose sire is 2006 Preakness Stakes winner Bernardini, is undefeated in his four starts this year, including the G2 Blue Grass at Keeneland in July and the Ellis Park Derby on Aug. 9. The year has been a Cinderella story of sorts for his trainer Tom Drury, a Louisville native who wasn’t even supposed to be Art Collector’s full-time trainer. Art Collector’s Blue Grass Stakes win was Drury’s first graded stakes win (which was later celebrated with beer and frozen pizza).
G1 Alabama Stakes winner Swiss Skydiver looks to become the first filly to win the Preakness since Rachel Alexandra in 2009. Only five fillies have won the Preakness in the race’s 144 editions, and was Ria Antonia (2014) was the last filly to run in the race. Swiss Skydiver finished second in the 2020 Kentucky Oaks behind upset winner Shedaresthedevil and also took second in the Blue Grass after Art Collector in a field of colts. Purchased for a mere $35,000, she has already earned over $1.1 million in her nine starts this year.
Baffert also fields Thousand Words, who was a last moment scratch in the Derby after he flipped himself over in the saddling area. He quickly got up on his own and a vet exam determined nothing had been injured or damaged during the incident. The inconsistent colt came at a whopping $1 million and had a strong start to his career and then went on a three-race skid before winning the Shared Belief on Aug. 1 and re-entering the Derby picture.
Mr. Big News got an odds boost after finishing third in the Kentucky Derby at 46-1. The Giant’s Causeway colt only has two career wins but enters the Preakness with 12-1 odds. This will be the first Preakness for trainer Bret Calhoun.
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen has a pair of Preakness Stakes wins with Curlin in 2007 and Rachel Alexandra in 2009. Both horses are now in the Hall of Fame. This year, Asmussen goes for lucky win number three and brings an eclectic trio to Pimlico: 30-1 longshot Excession, top-5 Belmont and Derby finisher Max Player and late bloomer Pneumatic.

Who won the 2019 Preakness Stakes?

Gary Barber’s colt War of Will won the 144th Preakness Stakes just two weeks after being majorly impeded by Maximum Security in the 145th Kentucky Derby. With now-Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse and jockey Tyler Gaffalione, War of Will ran in all three Triple Crown races last year, finishing 7th in the Derby and 9th in the Belmont.

He went on to finish an underwhelming 9th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last fall at Santa Anita before jumping from the dirt to the turf (grass) and focusing on the mile division. In July of 2020, he won the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland. Don’t be surprised if he makes an appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in November.

What comes after the Preakness Stakes?

The world’s best horses—not just the 3-year-olds that compete in the Triple Crown—will head to Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Nov. 6 and 7. Though the event will be run without spectators, which has become standard for the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Breeders’ Cup will return to Lexington again in 2022.

Watch the Preakness Stakes 2020 on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. ET on NBC, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

Florida Derby 2023: How to watch, what to know ahead of race day

By Annie CoryMar 29, 2023, 1:36 PM EDT

The stakes are high on the road to the Kentucky Derby, as a field of 12 will vie for $1 million and precious qualifying points at the Curlin Florida Derby on Saturday, April 1 on CNBC and Peacock. The winner of the race will receive 100 of these points with the runner-up getting 40, the third-place runner receiving 30, the fourth-place finisher receiving 20 and the fifth-place horse receiving 10.

NBC Sports has you covered with everything you need to know about Saturday’s race, which will get underway Saturday at 6 p.m. EST, airing on CNBC and streaming on Peacock.

Who will be racing at the Florida Derby?

Jungfrau
- Bill Mott (trainer), Paco Lopez (jockey)
West Coast Cowboy
- Saffie Joseph Jr. (trainer), Sonny Leon (jockey)
Shaq Diesel
- Renaldo Richards (trainer), Miguel Vasquez (jockey)
Mage
- Gustavo Delgado (trainer), Luis Saez (jockey)
Mr. Peeks
- Saffie Joseph Jr. (trainer), Edwin Gonzalez (jockey)
Nautical Star
- Saffie Joseph Jr. (trainer), Leonel Reyes (jockey)
II Miracolo
- Antonio Sano (trainer), Jesus Rios (jockey)
Mr. Ripple
- Saffie Joseph Jr. (trainer), Edgard Zayas (jockey)
Cyclone Mischief
- Dale Romans (trainer), Javier Castellano (jockey)
Fort Bragg
- Tim Yakteen (trainer), Joel Rosario (jockey)
Forte
- Todd Pletcher (trainer), Irad Ortiz Jr. (jockey)
Dubyuhnell
- Danny Gargan (trainer), Jose Ortiz (jockey)

Who is the favorite for the Florida Derby?

All eyes will be on the reigning two-year-old champion Forte come Saturday, who has earned 90 points to date and won five of his six career starts. His 2023 campaign got off to a quick start after taking the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream by 4 1/2 lengths on March 4 in his 3-year-old debut. His other recent wins include triumphs at the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes, the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

The 4/5 morning line favorite and trainer Todd Pletcher, however, will have some obstacles in the way as they look to continue the charge to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. As Pletcher looks to extend his streak to a record-setting seven wins, he’ll need Forte to overcome a post position 11 at Gulfstream Park.

Horses who have drawn post position 11 at the Florida Derby distance of 1 1/8 miles since Gulfstream was reconfigured in 2006 have come away with the crown a mere 2 of 50 times.

What should I look for come race day?

The unlucky post position for the favorite Forte opens the door for other contenders, such as Fort Bragg and Cyclone Mischief.

Fort Bragg, who was initially slated to race at last weekend’s Sunland Derby before re-routing to Gulfstream, will be making his second start for Tim Yakteen. The $700,000 purchase is coming off a fifth-place finish at the Fountain of Youth on March 4 and is 5-1 on the morning line for Florida under Forte.

Not far behind, however, is Cyclone Mischief, who displayed an encouraging performance at the Fountain of Youth, holding a lead for the first mile before falling to third. The three-year-old and his trainer, Dale Romans, will look to cause a bit more havoc at Gulfstream and earn valuable points to keep the hopes for Louisville alive.

Others to keep an eye on come race time include Mage, who has a total of 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points and West Coast Cowboy, who currently sits with six.

How can I watch the Florida Derby?

Date: Saturday, April 1st
Time: 6 p.m. EST
TV Network: CNBC
Streaming: Peacock

When is the 2023 Kentucky Derby?

The 2023 Kentucky Derby is scheduled for Saturday, May 6th, and will air across the networks of NBC Sports and Peacock.

For more horse racing coverage and the latest on the road to the Kentucky Derby, visit nbcsports.com.

Road to the Kentucky Derby: Forte seems dominant ahead of Florida Derby prep race

By Al BernsteinMar 28, 2023, 2:54 PM EDT

The numbers speak for themselves. Horses trained by Todd Pletcher have earned more purse money (over $455 million) than those trained by any other person in the history of thoroughbred racing. He has won with an impressive 23% of his starters, and 52% have finished first, second or third.

When it comes to the Kentucky Derby, however, Pletcher becomes a mere mortal. From 62 career starters, he has won the race twice, with two seconds, and four horses who finished 3^rd. Many of Pletcher’s Derby horses were longshots who were in the race primarily so their owners could have a horse in America’s biggest race. His two Derby winners, while they were reasonably backed at the windows, were far from odds-on favorites. When Super Saver won in 2010, he paid $18.00 for a $2 win ticket. Always Dreaming, his 2017 winner, was a very lukewarm favorite who returned $11.40 to win. Many racing fans are used to seeing Pletcher’s horses win at short odds, primarily in New York and Florida. They might be shocked to find out that when Always Dreaming won the 2017 Derby, he was the shortest-odds horse that Pletcher had ever saddled in the Kentucky Derby, despite having odds just under 5-1.

This Saturday, he will saddle Forte in the Florida Derby. Forte will enter the race on a four-race win streak, with those wins coming in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes, the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes. He is a 4/5 morning line favorite, and if he wins the race, he should move forward to Louisville as a very strong favorite for the Kentucky Derby. Clearly, he would be the shortest-priced horse Pletcher has ever had in the race, but that almost wasn’t the case.

In 2010, we know that Pletcher scored a mild upset in the Kentucky Derby with Super Saver. He was definitely not the best three-year-old in Pletcher’s barn. That year, he had a horse named Eskendereya, who seemed as unbeatable as Forte does now. He was set to enter the Derby off a three-race win streak. That streak included an 8 ½ length victory in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and a 9 ¾ length win in the Wood Memorial. The Pletcher barn was devastated when Eskendereya suffered a career-ending leg injury in training one week before the Kentucky Derby. So, instead of saddling the big favorite in the race, he took his shot with four other horses. As the chart tells us, Super Saver benefitted from a rail-skimming ride by Calvin Borel and gave Pletcher his first Derby winner.

As far as I am concerned, any discussion of Forte and the Florida Derby should begin with the concept of professionalism in a racehorse. In one respect you can call him more professional than (dare I say?) Secretariat. Big Red was brilliant, and he showed the ability to win on the engine and from off the pace. Forte’s three career races around two turns, however, are a virtual carbon copy of each other.

As a two-year-old, in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, he was in fifth place after six furlongs, sitting 2 ½ lengths off the lead, and he went on to win by a neck. That race set him up for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. In the Juvenile, he was again in fifth after six furlongs, sitting four lengths off the lead before he went on to win by 1 ½ lengths. It’s been said that race horses mature the most between ages two and three, and Forte’s only race this year showed that maturity. In the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream, he was in fourth after six furlongs, sitting about two lengths off the lead, and then he blew by the field, going on to win by 4 ½ lengths.

This concept of professionalism in a racehorse is based in part on how well the game plan of the trainer is executed by the horse. Forte is a horse that has clearly used his fast cruising speed and his ability to relax off the pace to his advantage. Looking at those three wins he posted around two turns, they show that Forte’s natural ability allows him to idle like a Cadillac behind front-runners, and he has a growing ability to pass his competition on the far turn and power through the stretch on his way to victory. The Pletcher game plan, nurtured through the experience of 62 starts in America’s most important race, has been very convincing thus far.

Working in Forte’s favor even more is the fact that there are several horses in the race who tend to run on the front end, which should set up jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. to make Forte’s signature move to the lead as the front-runners start to tire. Skeptics might point to Forte’s journey from the #11 post as a reason to think he might have a problem here, but the fact that he relaxes in races and has a high cruising speed should allow Ortiz to get a mid-pack position to pounce from.

As for the rest of the field, the two most likely to finish underneath Forte in exotic wagers are Fort Bragg and Cyclone Mischief. Fort Bragg is a horse who sold for $700,000 as a yearling. He was formerly trained by Bob Baffert and has been transferred to the care of Tim Yakteen. He should be near the front end early and is likely to have the class to last longer that some of the other forwardly-placed runners. Another who has a good chance to hit the board is the Dale Romans-trained Cyclone Mischief. He has raced against some of the top horses of his age group and was third to Forte in the Fountain of Youth, beaten by nearly 6 lengths. Although he was on the lead in that race, I expect him to sit a couple of lengths off the pace here. There are two longer-priced entries here that could hit the board to fill out some tickets. They are the lightly-raced Mage (fourth in the Fountain of Youth with a troubled trip) and West Coast Cowboy, who has tried hard in all three career races and is 20-1 on the morning line.

For those who think they might be able to beat Forte, consider Todd Pletcher’s record in the Florida Derby. He is the leading trainer in the history of the race with six wins, and five of those have been in the last nine years.

If there is a theme to the Derby prep season thus far, it is Pletcher, Pletcher, Pletcher. In addition to Forte, he trains Kingsbarns, the front-running winner of the Louisiana Derby, and Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapit Trice. Tapit Trice, who will run in the Blue Grass Stakes on NBC a week from Saturday, is an intriguing horse who won the Tampa Bay Derby with come-from-behind style. As talented as Forte is, we don’t know how talented Tapit Trice can be, as he seems to mature more with each start. At Tampa Bay, he was eighth in the middle of the stretch and got home to win by an easy two lengths. He is an 8-1 second choice in the most recent Derby futures pool, with Forte favored at 3-1.

It is always fascinating when the early Derby favorite has his final prep race. We’ll have to sit back and watch on Saturday to determine whether Forte will continue his dominance or if he will hit a bump in the road. His talent and his ability to duplicate his running style from race to race lead me to think that his growth and maturity will continue to be on display in the Florida Derby, and he’ll advance to Kentucky a huge favorite for America’s biggest race.

How to Watch the Florida Derby

Date: Saturday, April 1st
Time: 6pm ET
TV Network: CNBC
Streaming: Peacock

When is the 2023 Kentucky Derby?

The 149th Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, May 6th, and will air across the networks of NBC and Peacock.