No lie: Exaggerator wins Preakness

Jockey Kent Desormeaux and Exaggerator (right) pull away from jockey Corey Lanerie and Cherry Wine to win the 141st Preakness Stakes on Saturday in Baltimore and put an end to a Triple Crown bid by third-place finisher Nyquist.
Jockey Kent Desormeaux and Exaggerator (right) pull away from jockey Corey Lanerie and Cherry Wine to win the 141st Preakness Stakes on Saturday in Baltimore and put an end to a Triple Crown bid by third-place finisher Nyquist.

BALTIMORE -- Despite the fog, the rain and an undefeated Kentucky Derby winner to contend with, Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux knew the best route to the Preakness winner's circle with Exaggerator -- stay inside and wait.

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AP

Exaggerator (far left) with jockey Kent Desormeaux moves up on Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist (3) and Mario Gutierrez down the stretch. Exaggerator overtook Nyquist to win the 141st Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

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AP

Exaggerator with Kent Desormeaux pulls away to win the 141st Preakness Stakes.

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AP

Kent Desormeaux rides Exaggerator to victory in the 141st Preakness Stakes on Saturday in Baltimore.

The rider who started his career in Maryland, guided Exaggerator to a 3 1/2-length victory over Cherry Wine in Saturday's $1.5 million Preakness, ending any chance for a Triple Crown follow-up after American Pharoah accomplished the rare feat last year. Nyquist finished third.

How favorites have fared over past 25 years YEAR;HORSE;ODDS;FIN

1991 Strike the Gold;1.80-1;6th

1992 Pine Bluff;3.50-1;1st

1993 Prairie Bayou;2.20-1;1st

1994 Go For Gin;2.80-1;2nd

1995 Timber Country;1.90-1;1st

1996 Cavonnier;1.70-1;4th

1997 Captain Bodgit;2.10-1;3rd

1998 Victory Gallop;2.00-1;2nd

1999 Menifee;2.00-1;2nd

2000 Fusaichi Pegasus;.30-1;2nd

2001 Point Given;2.30-1;1st

2002 War Emblem;2.80-1;1st

2003 Funny Cide;1.90-1;1st

2004 Smarty Jones;.70-1;1st

2005 Afleet Alex;3.30-1;1st

2006 Barbaro;.50-1;DNF

2007 Street Sense;1.30-1;2nd

2008 Big Brown;.20-1;1st

2009 Rachel Alexandra;1.80-1;1st

2010 Super Saver;1.90-1;8th

2011 Animal Kingdom;2.30-1;2nd

2012 Bodemeister;1.70-1;2nd

2013 Orb .70-1;4th

2014 California Chrome;.50-1;1st

2015 American Pharoah;.90-1;1st

One word to sum me up: busy

Recent winners in Triple Crown races YEAR;KENTUCKY DERBY;PREAKNESS;BELMONT

2016;Nyquist;Exaggerator;TBD

2015;American Pharoah;American Pharoah;American Pharoah

2014;California Chrome;California Chrome;Tonalist

2013;Orb Oxbow;Palace Malice

2012;I'll Have Another;I'll Have Another;Union Rags

2011;Animal Kingdom;Shackleford;Ruler On Ice

2010;Super Saver;Lookin at Lucky;Drosselmeyer

2009;Mine That Bird;Rachel Alexandra;Summer Bird

2008;Big Brown;Big Brown;Da' Tara

2007;Street Sense;Curlin;Rags to Riches

2006;Barbaro;Bernardini;Jazil

2005;Giacomo;Afleet Alex;Afleet Alex

2004;Smarty Jones;Smarty Jones;Birdstone

2003;Funny Cide;Funny Cide;Empire Maker

2002;War Emblem;War Emblem;Sarava

2001;Monarchos;Point Given;Point Given

2000;Fusaichi Pegasus;Red Bullet;Commendable

1999;Charismatic;Charismatic;Lemon Drop Kid

1998;Real Quiet;Real Quiet;Victory Gallop

1997;Silver Charm;Silver Charm;Touch Gold

1996;Grindstone;Louis Quatorze;Editor's Note

1995;Thunder Gulch;Timber Country;Thunder Gulch

1994;Go for Gin;Tabasco Cat;Tabasco Cat

1993;Sea Hero;Prairie Bayou;Colonial Affair

1992;Lil E. Tee;Pine Bluff;A.P. Indy

1991;Strike the Gold;Hansel;Hansel

Boldface indicates horses who races in one of Oaklawn's 3-year-old prep races.

At the window

Payout for Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, won by Exaggerator.

HORSE W P S

Exaggerator 7.20 3.20 2.40

Cherry Wine 9.80 4.20

Nyquist 2.20

Race chart

— Equibase LLC

Horse Wgt ST ¼ ½ ¾ Str Fin Jockey Odds

Exaggerator 126 7 8-½ 8-2½ 8-1 1-1½ 1-3½ Desormeaux 2.60

Cherry Wine 126 10 10-3 10-3 10-1½ 5-4 2-no Lanerie 17.30

Nyquist 126 2 2-2½ 1-½ 1-hd 2-3½ 3-½ Gutierrez 0.70

Stradivari 126 8 5-1 5-1½ 5-hd 3-½ 4-1 Velazquez 8.00

Lani 126 11 11 11 11 6-2 5-7 Take 30.40

Laoban 126 5 6-½ 6-½ 6-1½ 7-1½ 6-1¼ Geroux 66.50

Uncle Lino 126 1 1-hd 2-1½ 2-1 4-hd 7-5½ Perez 34.60

Fellowship 126 9 9-12 9-10 9-4 8-2½ 8-2¾ Lezcano 58.10

Awesome Speed 126 3 3-1½ 3-1 3-½ 10-8 9-¾ Toledo 51.70

Collected 126 4 4-1 4-1½ 4-½ 9-2½ 10-14½ Castellano 14.00

Abiding Star 126 6 7-5 7-hd 7-3 11 11 Acosta 40.40

Time 22.38 46.56 1:11.97 1:38.19 1:58.31

Past winners

2016 — Exaggerator

2015 — American Pharoah

2014 — California Chrome

2013 — Oxbow

2012 — I’ll Have Another

2011 — Shackleford

2010 — Lookin at Lucky

2009 — Rachel Alexandra

2008 — Big Brown

2007 — Curlin

2006 — Bernardini

2005 — Afleet Alex

2004 — Smarty Jones

2003 — Funny Cide

2002 — War Emblem

2001 — Point Given

2000 — Red Bullet

1999 — Charismatic

1998 — Real Quiet

1997 — Silver Charm

1996 — Louis Quatorze

1995 — Timber Country

1994 — Tabasco Cat

1993 — Prairie Bayou

1992 — Pine Bluff

1991 — Hansel

1990 — Summer Squall

1989 — Sunday Silence

1988 — Risen Star

1987 — Alysheba

1986 — Snow Chief

1985 — Tank’s Prospect

1984 — Gate Dancer

1983 — Deputed Testamony

1982 — Aloma’s Ruler

1981 — Pleasant Colony

1980 — Codex

1979 — Spectacular Bid

1978 — Affirmed

1977 — Seattle Slew

1976 — Elocutionist

1975 — Master Derby

1974 — Little Current

1973 — Secretariat

1972 — Bee Bee Bee

1971 — Canonero II

1970 — Personality

1969 — Majestic Prince

1968 — Forward Pass

1967 — Damascus

1966 — Kauai King

1965 — Tom Rolfe

1964 — Northern Dancer

1963 — Candy Spots

1962 — Greek Money

1961 — Carry Back

1960 — Bally Ache

1959 — Royal Orbit

1958 — Tim Tam

1957 — Bold Ruler

1956 — Fabius

1955 — Nashua

1954 — Hasty Road

1953 — Native Dancer

1952 — Blue Man

1951 — Bold

1950 — Hill Prince

1949 — Capot

1948 — Citation

1947 — Faultless

1946 — Assault

1945 — Polynesian

1944 — Pensive

1943 — Count Fleet

1942 — Alsab

1941 — Whirlaway

1940 — Bimelech

1939 — Challedon

1938 — Dauber

1937 — War Admiral

1936 — Bold Venture

1935 — Omaha

1934 — High Quest

1933 — Head Play

1932 — Burgoo King

1931 — Mate

1930 — Gallant Fox

1929 — Dr. Freeland

1928 — Victorian

1927 — Bostonian

1926 — Display

1925 — Coventry

1924 — Nellie Morse

1923 — Vigil

1922 — Pillory

1921 — Broomspun

1920 — Man o’ War

1919 — Sir Barton

1918 — War Cloud and Jack Hare, Jr.

1917 — Kalitan

1916 — Damrosch

1915 — Rhine Maiden

1914 — Holiday

1913 — Buskin

1912 — Colonel Holloway

1911 — Watervale

1910 — Lay Master

1909 — Effendi

1908 — Royal Tourist

1907 — Don Enrique

1906 — Whimsical

1905 — Cairngorm

1904 — Bryn Mawr

1903 — Flocarline

1902 — Old England

1901 — The Parader

1900 — Hindus

1899 — Half Time

1898 — Sly Fox

1897 — Paul Kauver

1896 — Margrave

1895 — Belmar

1894 — Assignee

1893-91 — No Races Held

1890 — Montague

1889 — Buddhist

1888 — Refund

1887 — Dubine

1886 — The Bard

1885 — Tecumseh

1884 — Knight of Ellerslie

1883 — Jacobus

1882 — Vanguard

1881 — Saunterer

1880 — Grenada

1879 — Harold

1878 — Duke of Magenta

1877 — Cloverbrook

1876 — Shirley

1875 — Tom Ochiltree

1874 — Culpepper

1873 — Survivor

Just call Pimlico Race Course home track advantage, Desormeaux.

Stride by stride, Exaggerator made up ground along the rail as Nyquist and Uncle Lino dueled for the lead. Desormeaux was watching.

"I had a dream trip," he said. "To me it looked like Nyquist was trying to establish an outward position, maybe in the four path. He was jockeying for position all the way down the back side. And Exaggerator just kind of slid up the fence to the far turn where I actually got to slow him down and say 'whenever I'm ready.'"

He was ready with 3/16ths of a mile to go, and splashed his way past Nyquist to finally beat his nemesis after four losses, including a runner-up finish in the Derby.

"It was an amazing race and Exaggerator is an amazing horse," Desormeaux said.

The day began on a somber note. Two horses died and a jockey was injured in the first four races, one of the horses bred and owned by Gretchen and Roy Jackson -- the owners of the ill-fated Barbaro.

It was 10 years ago when Gretchen and Roy Jackson's Derby winner Barbaro shattered bones in his right hind leg at the start of the Preakness. Seven months later, he was euthanized. The Jacksons' 4-year-old filly Pramedya was euthanized on the track Saturday after she broke down during the fourth race. Jockey Daniel Centeno broke his right collar bone.

Earlier, 9-year-old gelding Homeboykris won the first race, and then collapsed and died while being led back to his barn.

Nyquist was the 3-5 favorite in the 11-horse field, with Exaggerator the second choice at 5-2. The 3-year-old son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, Exaggerator trailed by 13 lengths at one point but kept gaining ground along the rail. Desormeaux saw an opening around the final turn, angled outside and Exaggerator took over.

"I was actually trying to slow him down, asking him to wait," Desormeaux said. "And he just blew up and felt like King Kong. And when I pitched him out, he did what he can do. He exploded."

Stradivari was fourth, followed by Lani, Laoban, Uncle Lino, Fellowship, Awesome Speed, Collected and Abiding Star.

Exaggerator, the 5-2 second choice, returned $7.20, $3.20 and $2.40. Cherry Wine returned $9.80 and $4.20, and Nyquist paid $2.20 to show. Winning time for the race was 1:58.31.

Nyquist broke well under Mario Gutierrez, and he and 34-1 long shot Uncle Lino went back and forth on the lead. The duel was costly. When asked for his usual winning burst, the son of Uncle Mo just didn't have it for the first time in his career.

"Hats off to Exaggerator and Team Desormeaux. What a great run," Nyquist's trainer Doug O'Neill said. "I didn't think we could get beat, to be honest with you."

Trained by Kent's younger brother, Keith, Exaggerator showed his talent in the slop once again. He won the Santa Anita Derby over a sloppy track. It was the first Preakness winner for the trainer who also began his career in Maryland, and third for the Hall of Fame rider.

Last year, American Pharoah became the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, and there were many who thought Nyquist would make it two in a row and become the 13th horse to sweep the Derby, Preakness and Belmont.

Exaggerator earned $900,000 for the victory, improving his career bankroll to $2,971,120. The powerfully built bay colt has won five of 11 starts, with three runner-finishes. He was beaten by Nyquist twice last year -- in the debut race for each last June, and then in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. In the 3-year old debuts for each, it was Nyquist by 1 1/2 lengths in the San Vicente.

"I did what I could to get him happy and fresh and strong. I've always said he's had a great ability to recover and he showed it today," Keith Desormeaux said

The Desormeaux brothers have different personalities, and seem to enjoy ribbing each other. There were no family hugs, and no special celebrations.

"I looked at him and he looked at me, and I got a fist pump," Kent said. "That's all we did."

A drenched record crowd of 135,256 saw Exaggerator end his losing streak in a big way.

"It wasn't like we felt we could grind him down," Keith said. "We always felt we had an exceptional talent."

It's on to the Belmont Stakes for Exaggerator.

"We can't wait to run in that race," Keith said.

Sports on 05/22/2016

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