2013 Preakness Stakes

138th Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
"The Second Jewel of the Triple Crown" "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans"
Location	Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Date	May 18, 2013
Winning horse	Oxbow
Winning jockey	Gary Stevens
Conditions	Overcast, windy

The 2013 Preakness Stakes was the 138th running of the Preakness Stakes. The race was held on May 18, 2013, and was televised on NBC.^[1] The race was won by Oxbow. ^[2] The post time of the race was 6:18 p.m. EDT. The race was the 12th race on a card of 13 races. The Maryland Jockey Club reported total attendance of 117,203, this is recorded as second highest on the list of American thoroughbred racing top attended events for North America in 2013.^[3]

Payout

The 138th Preakness Payout Schedule ^[4]

• $2 Exacta: 6–9 - $301.40^[4]
• $2 Trifecta: 6–9–5 - $2,061.60^[4]
• $1 Superfecta: 6–9–5–1 - $1,817.80^[4]

Field

Oxbow (far right) leads into the straight during the finish of the Preakness Stakes.

2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb as expected entered the Preakness.^[5] It was announced on May 6 that Vyjack and Normandy Invasion would also be starting in The Preakness.^[6] Other Derby starters confirmed for The Preakness are Goldencents (17th) and the D. Wayne Lukas trained duo of Oxbow (6th) and Will Take Charge (8th).^[6] Later connections of Vyjack and Normandy Invasion withdrew their nominations. Horses that did not start in the Kentucky Derby and were nominated include Illinois Derby winner Departing,^[7] Sunland Derby winner Govenor Charlie and Titletown Five.^[8]

Nine 3-year-olds were entered for the 138th Preakness Stakes: The Preakness post position draw were held at the International Pavilion in the Pimlico Infield at 6 p.m. on 15 May 2013 and were broadcast live on HRTV using a blind draw.^[8] After the draw Orb was installed as the even money favorite securing the rail.^[9]

Race

Oxbow was trained by D. Wayne Lukas (right) and was ridden by Gary L. Stevens during his Triple Crown campaign. Stevens is pictured wearing the colors of Oxbow's owner Brad M. Kelley.

On the day of the race, the Kentucky Derby winner Orb was bet down further from even money of 1-1 on the morning line down to a prohibitive odds-on favorite at 3-5 by post time. Florida Derby runner-up Itsmyluckyday was listed as a distant second favorite at 8¹⁄₂-1 while Santa Anita Derby winner Goldencents was the third choice at almost 9¹⁄₂-1 by post time. Oxbow was relegated to longshot status of almost 15¹⁄₂-1 in front of only stablemate Titletown Five at 22-1.^[10]

At the break Oxbow was brushed by Will Take Charge then stedied as Goldencents, Oxbow and Titletown Five rushed out to the lead in that order. Orb broke well in sixth place out of nine stakes winning colts. Passing the stands for the first time Oxbow moved to the lead and led by one and one half length over Goldencents completing the first quarter mile in a slow :23-4/5.^[11] Making a point to ride three to four paths off the rail Oxbow's jockey Gary Stevens slowed down the pace of the race. Rounding Pimlico's famous "Clubhouse Turn" Oxbow opened a daylight advantage moving ahead by two and a half lengths tipping the clock at :48-3/5 for the first half mile.^[12] At this point Orb was running in fifth place only two lengths behind Oxbow.

Racing down the backstretch and entering the final turn Oxbow's lead dwindled to only a length and a half with Goldencents and Itsmyluckyday within striking distance. At the top of the lane Oxbow hit another gear and widened his lead to three lengths over Itsmyluckyday who went six wide and made a menacing run toward the front. The first mile was completed in 1:38 flat on the front end as Derby winner Orb toiled in sixth place. ^[13]

Nearing the wire, Oxbow under some hand urging by Stevens held on to win by one and three quarter lengths over Itsmyluckyday. Louisiana Derby runner-up Mylute closed from the back of the pack under Rosie Napravnik to finish third by two and a quarter lengths (the best finish ever by a female jockey in the 138 year history of the Preakness). Kentucky Derby winner Orb made up some ground at the end but could finish no better than fourth nine lengths behind the winner. Just after the wire NBC announcer Tom Hammond, exclaimed that "Gary Stevens just stole the Preakness," becoming the first wire-to-wire winner of the race since Aloma's Ruler in 1982. The "Hall-of-Fame ride" allowed Oxbow to conserve enough energy to finish the mile and three sixteenths in final time of 1:57.54, it was the slowest Preakness win since 1961.^{[14] [13]}

Full chart

• Winning Breeder: Colts Next Stables, LLC; (KY)
• Final Time: 1:57.54^[4]
• Track: Fast^[4]
• Attendance - 117,203

Records

• Winning jockey Gary Stevens became the oldest jockey at aged 50 years to win the race.^[15]
• Winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas won his sixth Preakness to move one behind Robert Wyndham Walden for most wins in the second leg of the Triple Crown and won his record fourteenth Triple Crown race.^[16]

See also

• 2013 Kentucky Derby
• 2013 Belmont Stakes

References