The Road: Horsemen Support MJC's Preakness Paths

Give the Maryland Jockey Club credit for realizing the Triple Crown series is changing very quickly and taking action to help ensure the Preakness Stakes (G1) is supported by horsemen. 

The big change continues to be horsemen preferring to rest their horses rather than race off a quick turnaround.

This year that trend sees just one horse that raced in the Kentucky Derby (G1) May 6 at Churchill Downs, winner Mage , entered to start in the Preakness May 20 at Pimlico Race Course. With the tradition of having the Preakness two weeks after the Derby continuing to be the approach, the MJC has been forced to find ways to ensure the Preakness is supported, knowing that trends suggest it can no longer count on support from out of the Derby.

That's where the MJC has worked to set up a trio of qualifying races to the Preakness and this year all three winners of those races have been entered in the Baltimore classic. While the field is certainly not overflowing with just eight 3-year-olds entered—a maximum of 14 starters is possible—just imagine if the three runners from the qualifying races had not been entered?

Let's take a look at the three qualifiers.

Chase the Chaos , a Northern California-based son of Astern , earned his spot when he rallied from fifth to win the El Camino Real Derby in February at Golden Gate Fields. Campaigned by Adam Ference and Bill Dory and trained by Ed Moger Jr., the connections paid a late nomination fee of $6,000 to make Chase the Chaos eligible for Saturday's 1 3/16-mile classic. As Chase the Chaos finished seventh in his lone start on dirt, the San Felipe Stakes (G2) in March at Santa Anita Park, he's listed at 50-1 on the morning-line.

The other two qualifiers are entered off the stakes wins that earned them entry to the Preakness.

Red Route One  rallied from 11 lengths back early to win the Bath House Row Stakes April 22 at Oaklawn Park for trainer Steve Asmussen and owner/breeder Winchell Thoroughbreds. Jockey Joel Rosario was aboard for the first time in that race—the son of Gun Runner  's first stakes win—and will ride Saturday.

Perform  nailed down the Maryland qualifier to the Preakness when he rallied from ninth early to win the Federico Tesio Stakes. Campaigned by Woodford Racing, Lane's End Farm, Phipps Stable, Ken Langone, and Edward Hudson Jr., Perform is one of three sons of Good Magic   entered in the Preakness, joining Mage and grade 1 winner Blazing Sevens . Perform is trained by Racing Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey.

Besides supplying some horses to the Preakness, offering a classic path also provides some added interest in the qualifying races involved. The fans who watched any of the three races at each of those tracks now have a horse to follow in the Preakness.