Absences Make Longshots Grow Fonder for Race

The absences of the retired Grindstone and the sore-footed Unbridled’s Song resulted in a late run on the entry box for the 121st running of the Preakness, with 12 horses now scheduled to compete Saturday at Pimlico.

Cavonnier, who came within about four inches of beating Grindstone in the Kentucky Derby, was made the 9-5 favorite after Wednesday’s post-position draw, but this didn’t discourage the owners of a couple of unexpected longshots, Allied Forces and In Contention, from paying $5,000 apiece to enter. It costs another $5,000 for each horse to run in the second race of the Triple Crown series, which ends with the Belmont Stakes on June 8.

Allied Forces, a colt whose career began in England, made his U.S. debut at Pimlico on Derby day, May 4, by winning the Woodlawn Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile grass race. The Preakness is 1 3/16 miles, 110 yards shorter than the Derby.

After running second to Unbridled’s Song in the Wood Memorial on April 13, In Contention finished 15th in the Derby three weeks later, but his owner, Noreen Carpenito, was still eager to run in the Preakness.

Trainer Wayne Lukas, running three horses as he tries to win a seventh consecutive Triple Crown race, was not happy that two of them--Prince Of Thieves and Editor’s Note--drew outside post positions. Lukas’ other horse, Victory Speech, will break from the No. 3 post. Grindstone, retired after suffering a knee injury, extended Lukas’ streak by winning from post No. 15 in the Derby.

“The draw [at the Preakness] is more important than it is at the Derby,” Lukas said.

“At Pimlico, it’s a shorter run to the first turn. But we’ve got good riders, and we’ll make the best of it.”

This is the gate lineup for the Preakness, which is worth $704,800, with $458,120 going to the winner:

Allied Forces, Richard Migliore riding, morning-line odds of 30-1; Cavonnier, Chris McCarron, 9-5; Victory Speech, Rene Douglas, 30-1; In Contention, Alex Solis, 20-1; Secreto De Estado, Cornelio Velasquez, 50-1; Louis Quatorze, Pat Day, 8-1; Feather Box, Jorge Velasquez, 50-1; Mixed Count, Edgar Prado, 20-1; Prince Of Thieves, Jerry Bailey, 5-2; Editor’s Note, Gary Stevens, 6-1; Skip Away, Shane Sellers, 6-1; and Tour’s Big Red, Joe Bravo, 15-1.

All of them will carry 126 pounds, the same weight as in the Derby.

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Triple Crown Ratings

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No. Horse Starts 1 2 3 Earnings 1. Cavonnier 14 6 3 2 $1,104,157 2. Unbridled’s Song 8 4 2 0 1,223,000 3. Prince Of Thieves 7 2 1 1 242,080 4. Editor’s Note 15 3 4 2 455,534 5. Skip Away 11 3 3 2 587,360 6. Halo Sunshine 10 2 2 3 287,525 7. Grindstone 6 3 2 0 1,224,510 8. Alyrob 6 2 0 1 53,000 9. Diligence 9 4 2 0 235,900 10. Louis Quatorze 9 3 3 0 291,000

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Advisory panel for The Times’ Triple Crown Ratings: Racing historian Jim Bolus; Tom Durkin, track announcer in New York and Florida; and Chris Lincoln, racing telecaster for ESPN.