Preakness Starters Complete Their Preparations

As morning grew older on Preakness Stakes (G1) eve, final preparations for the third jewel of the 2020 Triple Crown came to a routine conclusion.

A wet track, which should be dry and fast by the 5:36 p.m. ET post time for the $1 million classic Oct. 3, greeted the 3-year-olds who galloped on the surface, but it could not dampen the enthusiasm in some quarters, especially among trainer Bob Baffert's duo of starters.

Baffert voiced pleasure with his horses' conditioning after Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winner Authentic and Thousand Words completed their Oct. 2 exercise at Pimlico Race Course.

Thousand Words, a son of Pioneerof the Nile, galloped a mile around the sloppy track, while Authentic, a progeny of Into Mischief , put in a 1 1/2-mile tour of the Baltimore oval.

"He's pretty sharp," Baffert said about Authentic, who is owned by Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing and has won five of his six starts. "He's strong and ready. He knows something is coming up."

The grade 2-winning Thousand Words, owned by Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm, was entered in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby but was scratched when he reared up and fell while being saddled for the race.

"Thousand Words is doing good," Baffert said. "I expect him to run a big race. He's 'the other Baffert,' as the gamblers say, but he's getting over the track well. He's happy. He's sharp. He's fresh. He's getting better."

Authentic is the 9-5 favorite for the 1 3/16-mile race Saturday, and Thousand Words is listed at 6-1 among the field of 11 for the 145th Preakness.

Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector, the 5-2 second choice, put in a 1 1/4-mile gallop with exercise rider Annie Finney that left trainer Tom Drury Jr. eagerly awaiting his first start in a Triple Crown race.

"I don't think it could have gone any better. Everything looked good to me. He seems like he takes his racetrack with him. I don't foresee that being an issue. The track has a really good bottom to it," Drury said. "I've been doing this for a long time. I've been associated with a lot of good horses from afar. I just try to use good judgment. Everybody knows the Bafferts and the (Todd) Pletchers, but there are thousands of horsemen out there that are very good horsemen but are never going to get this opportunity. I'm aware of what a blessing this is."

A son of Bernardini , Art Collector has won all four of his 2020 starts, including the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2), where he notched a 3 1/2-length win over the filly Swiss Skydiver, who is rated at 6-1 on the Preakness morning line.

The winner will receive an expenses-paid spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge series.

The Preakness, which can be seen on NBC, will be the 11th of 12 races on a card composed entirely of stakes, six of them graded, that will unfold without fans in attendance. Post time for the first race is 11 a.m.