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.
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