‘2-Horse Race’ : Field of 9 Entered in Preakness

Nine horses were entered today for a Preakness that looks “pretty much like a two-horse race” to trainer Charlie Whittingham.

Whittingham’s Kentucky Derby winner, Sunday Silence, is fully recovered from a sore right forefoot that cost him two days of training earlier this week, and is ready to renew his duel with 2-year-old champion and Derby runner-up Easy Goer.

“We’ve got pretty much the same horses that were in the Derby, only about half as many,” Whittingham said. “I think the smaller field will help us.

“Of course, there are a few horses you can’t rule out entirely, and racing luck has a lot to do with it, too.”

Sunday Silence worked a quick half-mile today in 47 1/5, galloping out five-eighths in 1:01 2/5. Afterward, Whittingham pronounced Sunday Silence fit and said the two lost days of training would be no problem.

“He could run all the way to Los Angeles without taking a breath,” Whittingham said.

Sunday Silence drew the No. 8 post for the $350,000-added Preakness over 1 3/16 miles at Pimlico. The entries include seven of the 16 3-year-olds that were in the Derby--Sunday Silence, Easy Goer, Awe Inspiring, Dansil, Hawkster, Houston and Northern Wolf. The two other starters are Pulverizing and Rock Point.

From the rail out, the lineup is Hawkster, Easy Goer, Pulverizing, Awe Inspiring, Rock Point, Dansil, Houston, Sunday Silence and Northern Wolf.

Whittingham sent Sunday Silence out for a 1 1/2-mile gallop on Wednesday, postponing the workout until today when sunny skies broke a May record of 13 straight days with rain.

“This kind of track isn’t perfect for a work,” Whittingham said Wednesday. “We only lost two days, but you can see that after galloping 1 1/2 miles, he’s not even breathing hard. It won’t affect this horse.”

Whittingham said the injury probably was caused by a shoe nail too close to the tender part of his foot, but it also could have been a bruise caused by a stone. The foot was soaked in Epsom salts, and Sunday Silence worked today wearing bar shoes, which have a protective piece of metal across the open end.

“He’s 100% right now if nothing else happens,” Whittingham said.

Shug McGaughey trains both Easy Goer and Awe Inspiring, but they were not entered as a single betting interest in Maryland as they were in Kentucky because they have different owners. Ogden Phipps owns Easy Goer, and Awe Inspiring is owned by his son, Dinny Phipps.

McGaughey said Awe Inspiring probably would be scratched unless it’s an off track Saturday, and then he would consider scratching Easy Goer. McGaughey hadn’t even planned on entering Awe Inspiring until this morning.

“At 9:30 I got a phone call from Dinny,” McGaughey said. “Dinny said he wanted to protect himself; maybe it’ll rain in Maryland.”

Sunday Silence was the 7-5 favorite in the morning line, followed by Easy Goer at 8-5. Awe Inspiring was the 6-1 third choice.

McGaughey said Sunday Silence “should be the favorite” at post time, but “Easy Goer probably will be the favorite because he’s better known around here among the bettors. But Sunday Silence deserves to be the favorite.”