Big Brown gets seventh post in Preakness
BALTIMORE (Reuters) - Kentucky Derby champion Big Brown will break from the seventh post position in the Preakness Stakes and was installed as the 1-2 favorite on Wednesday.
If the muscular Big Brown wins Saturday's race he would enter the June 7 Belmont Stakes with hopes of becoming the first winner of the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.
Big Brown is unbeaten in four career starts and has earned more than $2.1 million. He won the Kentucky Derby by nearly five lengths after starting from the outside 20th post.
"I think if he gets a clean trip, I don't know of anybody who can run with him," Big Brown's co-owner Michael Iavarone told reporters.
Ridden by three-times Derby-winning jockey Kent Desormeaux, the colt has won all of his career starts by a combined 34 lengths, including a five-length victory in the Florida Derby.
"Drawing post seven, if nobody wants to go with him he can bounce out of there and take the race on his own on the lead," said Iavarone. "It gives Kent a lot more options."
Arkansas Derby champion Gayego, the only horse other than Big Brown to run in the Kentucky Derby and make the trip to Pimlico Race Course, will break from the 12th post in the 13-horse race and was listed at 8-1.
The third choice in the 133rd Preakness at 10-1 was Behindatthebar, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt who was the Grade II Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, Ky. last month.
SCARED AWAY
Most of the Derby starters were likely scared away from the Preakness by Big Brown's intimidating resume.
California Derby champion Yankee Bravo and Kentucky Bear, who finished third in last month's Grade I Blue Grass Stakes, were listed by 15-1 odds.
Kentucky Bear trainer Reade Baker was elated with his number eight post.
"I love it," he said. "It's outside Big Brown. It couldn't be better. He's beatable. He beat all those horses at Churchill Downs, but he didn't beat us."
Macho Again and Hey Byrn were installed at 20-1, while Tres Borrachos, Icabad Crane, Racecar Rhapsody, Stevil, Riley Tucker and Giant Moon were each at 30-1 in the morning line.
(Writing by Steve Ginsburg; Editing by Ed Osmond)
