Can Dialed In Make A Comeback In The 2011 Preakness? If He Does He Will Win More Than Six Million D

By Author: Lee Lane-Edgar
Total Articles: 365
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After Kentucky Derby favorite finished a disappointing 8th, trainer Nick Zito was looking for answers, and he found it in the pedestrian pace. He noted that the early pace was unusually slow. A review of the last 10 years Derby charts shows that indeed they ran the slowest first quarter since War Emblem who ran the same opening quarter time of 23 and 1. That year, the first three horses around the first turn, War Emblem, Proud Citizen, and Perfect Drift finished first, second, and third in the race, showing that it was a race that clearly favored the horses more forwardly placed.

Dialed In never really had a chance. He was 19th of 19 horses after 6 furlongs, which the leader crossed in 113 and 2, the slowest 6 furlong split since 1947. It is clear that jockey Julian Leparoux misjudged the pace here.

It is no wonder that this deep closer had absolutely no chance. Shackleford who he ran down in the Florida Derby and who will be returning for the Preakness as well ran a solid 4th finishing almost four lengths ahead of Dialed In after setting the pace, which illustrates just how much Dialed In was at a disadvantage.

Historically, ...
... horses more forwardly placed have fared better at Pimlico than closer types, although Curlin came from mid pack to win in 2007. If Dialed In can lay just a little closer this time, he might have a chance. And he might get a swifter pace to run at this time, with speedballs such as Flashpoint and frontrunners such as Dance City and Shackleford in the race.

Jockey Gary Stevens thinks Animal Kingdom is going to love the Pimlico track. Of course everyone will be on the Animal Kingdom bandwagon now but Dialed In presents a solid threat to the Derby winner.

Bob Baffert is bringing Midnight Interlude back for more after he finished a lackluster sixteenth. There is no question he is better than that, but was he ever good enough? He has the right kind of stalking style that might do well at Pimlico. And the public has a tendency to elevate its stars who gain the spotlight and forget about others based on just one race.

As it turns out, Santiva will skip the Preakness. He is doing well, but his trainer said that they have elected to pass the race. In the Kentucky Derby, he finished a non threatening sixth, despite a relatively clean trip.

Sway Away who most recently finished fourth in the Arkansas Derby is on schedule to make the race, but seems not to have inherited a great deal of stamina from his father, 2005 Preakness winner Afleet Alex. In the Arkansas Derby, he swept to the lead and held it until mid stretch, at which point he seemed to run out of gas and faded, suggesting he might have distance limitations. Now, at Pimlico, he has to go a sixteenth of a mile longer.

Watch for our fantasy Preakness dream race, as we pit 14 of the greatest Preakness winners of the last 20 years against each other. It will be available on our website www.horseracegame.com by Tuesday May 17. This exciting virtual simulation will surely create some controversy.