Not Lukas’ Day in the Preakness

The record six-race Triple Crown winning streak of Wayne Lukas’ ended in the most stunning fashion Saturday, when Pat Day, the jockey Lukas had discarded, rode the lightly regarded Louis Quatorze to a 3 1/4-length win in the Preakness Stakes before 85,122 on a hot, muggy day at Pimlico.

Although Day has been one of the most successful jockeys in Preakness history and had won the race three times with Lukas horses, he was dropped by the trainer after riding Prince Of Thieves to a third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago.

Jerry Bailey, who had won the Derby for Lukas with Grindstone, was available because of Grindstone’s career-ending knee injury, and the trainer wanted to grab the services of the hottest rider in the country.

Meanwhile, Nick Zito, the trainer of Louis Quatorze, was looking for a rider after his colt ran 16th under Chris Antley in the Derby, and he signed up Day last Sunday, a couple of days after Lukas had switched to Bailey.

Following Zito’s instructions, Day broke Louis Quatorze on top shortly after the start, and none of his 11 rivals--including three horses from the Lukas barn--could overhaul him on a drying-out track that was listed as fast.

Louis Quatorze, whose three wins in nine pre-Preakness starts were in either allowance or maiden company, ran 1 3/16 miles in 1:53 2/5, equaling the stakes record set in 1985 by Tank’s Prospect, the Lukas trainee who gave Day his first Preakness victory. Day has now won five Preaknesses, one short of Eddie Arcaro’s record, and Saturday he became the first jockey to win the race three years in a row. He had won with Lukas horses the previous two years--Timber Country in 1995 and Tabasco Cat in 1994--and also finished first aboard Summer Squall in 1990.

Skip Away lagged just behind Louis Quatorze for the entire race, and finished that way, in second place after being unable to close any ground under Shane Sellers through the stretch. Lukas’ best finisher, Editor’s Note, came from more than 11 lengths back to finish third, beaten by 6 1/4 lengths. Prince Of Thieves finished seventh and Victory Speech, Lukas’ other horse, was fifth. This was Lukas’ first non-winning effort in a Triple Crown race since Tabasco Cat ran sixth in the 1994 Derby.

Louis Quatorze, who races for a partnership that includes Bill Condren, Joe Cornacchia and his breeder, Georgia Hofmann, paid $19 to win, becoming the first front-running horse to win the Preakness since Aloma’s Ruler in 1982. Saturday’s race was worth $704,800, and $458,120 went to Louis Quatorze.

After Editor’s Note, the order of finish was Cavonnier, Victory Speech, In Contention, Prince Of Thieves, Allied Forces, Secreto De Estado, Tour’s Big Red, Mixed Count and Feather Box.

Cavonnier, nosed out at the wire by Grindstone in the Derby, was the 17-10 favorite, but he labored under Chris McCarron over the sticky Pimlico track. On the far turn, Bailey said that his mount, Prince Of Thieves, and Cavonnier had to go around a football that apparently had landed in their path from the crowd in the infield. Bailey indicated that the obstruction wasn’t a factor in the race and McCarron chose not to talk about it.

Day, a deeply religious man who quoted Bible passages after the race, chose not to gloat about the kismet that brought him one more Preakness win, but this one had to be particularly sweet: Past the finish line, he pumped his right fist toward the sky, then a stride or two later he held up all five fingers of his left hand to signify the number of times he has won the race. Day, 42, prepped for the Preakness by winning the $600,000 Pimlico Special with Star Standard, a Zito horse, a week ago.

He said his pre-race zeal was no greater than it might be for any other big race. “If you can’t get motivated for a Triple Crown race, then you should find another occupation,” Day said. “I’m sorry Wayne’s streak ended, but I’m happy my streak continued. Wayne had said that he was making a coaching change, and Jerry’s been so hot that I can’t blame him for that. If I had ridden Prince Of Thieves, and somebody else had ridden Louis Quatorze, I think both of our streaks would have ended.”

At his barn on Friday, Lukas discussed the removal of Day and made what turned out to be a prescient remark: “Pat’s been on a tear ever since I made the change, so maybe I’ve made a mistake. But I didn’t want to get beat by Bailey riding somebody else. Now Pat’s riding somebody else, and I know he’ll be on his belly Saturday.”

After the Preakness, Lukas said:

“I didn’t think Pat would ride as strong as he did. He’s a great rider and he’s a money rider. I’m happy for him, there’s no malice. I put in a new quarterback and the other guy came in and threw a touchdown.”

Beaten by 23 1/4 lengths at Churchill Downs, Louis Quatorze is the worst Derby finisher to ever rebound and win the Preakness. Lukas hugged Zito after Saturday’s race and said: “If somebody broke my streak, I’m glad it was you.”

Zito brought Louis Quatorze to Pimlico the week before the Preakness, well ahead of his rivals.

“He didn’t run a step in the Derby, so we just threw out that race,” Condren said. “We’re glad the horse vindicated himself. He’s always been a very consistent horse, he’s not an in-and-outer. Now that we’ve been blessed enough to win the Preakness, we can’t exactly take a hike in the Belmont [on June 8].”

Horse Racing Notes

Unbridled’s Song, the Kentucky Derby favorite who ran with a sore foot and finished fifth, has been shipped from Monmouth Park to Belmont Park and there are unconfirmed reports that he might run in the Peter Pan Stakes a week from today. . . . Serena’s Song, the champion filly who won the Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico last year, returned to the track and scored a 1 1/2-length win over Shoop on Saturday in the $194,000 Pimlico Distaff Handicap. Carrying 123 pounds, seven more than Shoop, Serena’s Song won under a hand ride from Gary Stevens, running 1 1/8 miles on a muddy track in 1:49 3/5 and paying $2.60. . . . Gold And Steel, shipped in from Hollywood Park by trainer Ben Cecil, paid $7.80 for winning the $200,000 Early Times Dixie Stakes by half a length over Same Old Wish. Alex Solis rode Gold And Steel, who ran 1 1/8 miles on a turf course listed as yielding in 1:52 4/5. The 9-5 favorite, Mecke, finished eighth.