Unbridled, Favored at 7-5, Draws No. 6 Post

Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled was made the early 7-5 favorite and drew the No. 6 post today for Saturday’s Preakness.

Summer Squall, who finished second at Churchill Downs, will start next to Unbridled at the No. 7 post and was the second betting choice at 2-1.

Mister Frisky, who had been expected to be one of the top contenders in the Kentucky Derby but finished a disappointing eighth, drew the No. 9 post and was listed at 3-1.

“It’s a great post position, number six,” said Carl Nafzger, Unbridled’s trainer. “No problems there. I don’t see any problems for anybody, not with the long run down the stretch.”

“I don’t think it (post position) makes much difference,” said Cot Campbell, one of the members of the syndicate that owns Summer Squall. “We’d just as soon have three or four, but certainly this is not bad.”

The field, in post position order with jockeys and early odds: (1) Music Prospector, Frank Olivares, 30-1; (2) Land Rush, Angel Cordero, 10-1; (3) Baron de Vaux, Joe Rocco, 20-1; (4) Kentucky Jazz, Kent Desormeaux, 15-1; (5) Fighting Notion, Alberto Delgado, 30-1; (6) Unbridled, Craig Perret, 7-5; (7) Summer Squall, Pat Day, 2-1; (8) J. R.’s Horizon, Mark Johnston, 50-1; (9) Mister Frisky, Gary Stevens, 3-1.

If all nine start, the gross value of the race will be $686,000, with $445,900 going to the winner. All starters will carry scale weight of 126 pounds.

The Preakness shapes up as a battle between Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled, Summer Squall, who was second, and Mister Frisky.

Land Rush also ran in the Derby.

With the stretch-running Pleasant Tap and the front-running Champagneforashley out of the race, the strategy was bound to change some.

“It takes away one come-from-behind horse, and one speed horse is out,” said Summer Squall’s trainer, Neil Howard. “There are two top contenders out, but it’ll still be a tough race.”

But Mister Frisky’s trainer, Laz Barrera, was not second-guessing his strategy in the Derby.

“The worst thing you can do is think you did something wrong and change it,” Barrera said. The Florida-bred Mister Frisky went into the Derby with a 16-0 record built mostly on tracks in Puerto Rico.

“I don’t see anything that I did wrong,” Barrera said about his horse’s poor Derby showing. “The only thing I can say is the horse ran on a track that he was not used to running on.”

Mister Frisky’s trainer, Laz Barrera, was pleased with the draw of the No. 9 post for his colt.

“I think you are in a position where you can see everybody and you don’t have to worry about anybody shutting you off,” he said.

PREAKNESS STAKES FIELD

Post time for the Preakness Stakes, second leg of the Triple Crown, is Saturday at 2:33 p.m. PST. Nine horses carrying 126 pounds will run for 1-3/16 miles for a share of the $686,000 purse. The entries:

Horse Jockey Odds Trainer 1. Music Prospector Olivaras 30-1 Steve Miyadi 2. Land Rush Cordero 10-1 D. Wayne Lucas 3. Baron de Vaux Rocco 20-1 Charlie Peoples 4. Kentucky Jazz Desormeaux 15-1 D. Wayne Lucas 5. Fighting Notion Delgado 30-1 Nancy Heil 6. Unbridled Perret 7-5 Carl Nafzger 7. Summer Squall Day 2-1 Neil Howard 8. J.R.’s Horizon Johnston 50-1 Mert Bailes 9. Mister Frisky Stevens 3-1 Laz Barrera

Owner 1. Silky Green Inc. 2. Overbrook Farm/ D. Wayne Lucas/ 3. Bayard Sharp 4. Bob French 5. Arlene Kushner 6. Francis Genter Stable 7. Dogwood Stable 8. Marvin Champion 9. Solymar Stud