Who Won the Preakness 2021? The Preakness Stakes, a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, is held annually at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
The event is one of the leg of the American Triple Crown and its winners earn $150,000. It is also the longest race of the season at 1+316 miles.
Medina Spirit
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Medina Spirit has been a fixture in the racing community since his trainer Bob Baffert started his career.
The horse is owned by Saudi Arabian businessman Amr Zedan. He is also a venture capitalist and runs Zedan Racing Stable.
A lot of things have been said about Medina Spirit. His best finish was a second place finish in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Classic. That was a pretty good finish for a 3-year-old.
However, he has been well beaten in back-to-back races. So it would be interesting to see if Medina Spirit can come back strong in the Preakness Stakes.
A few months after the Kentucky Derby, Medina Spirit’s trainer, Bob Baffert, was suspended by Churchill Downs. His suspension was for 90 days.
While this is a comparatively short time, it does mean he won’t be able to bring his horses to Maryland for the May 21 Preakness Stakes.
Medina Spirit tested positive for an anti-inflammatory substance called betamethasone. The ointment was applied under veterinarian’s direction. It is permitted under Kentucky rules of racing.
Midnight Bourbon
The Preakness Stakes is the third leg of the Triple Crown and the 146th running of the race at Pimlico Race Course. The race is run in front of a crowd of 10,000 fans.
If the horse testing is clean, Medina Spirit and Midnight Bourbon could both be the morning-line favorites.
While the race was a close affair, the favorite was not Midnight Bourbon. Instead, it was Medina Spirit, the Kentucky Derby winner.
Medina Spirit led for most of the race but Midnight Bourbon came on strong in the stretch. Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone after the Derby, a substance that can be anti-inflammatory.
In 2022, Midnight Bourbon made his first start of the year in the Louisiana Stakes against Mandaloun. He finished second, one length behind Mandaloun, and earned $3,557,970. His career was 2-6-5 in 16 starts.
Last year, Midnight Bourbon won the Grade 3 LeComte Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. His next start was the G1 Travers at Saratoga Racecourse on August 28.
Early Voting
Having a winning performance in his first Preakness was a special birthday present for owner Seth Klarman. On Saturday, he turned 65. Originally trained by Chad Brown, Early Voting has had three career starts prior to the Preakness.
In those three races, he was ridden aggressively. He stalked the leaders for much of the race. With a furlong to go, he had a three-and-a-half length lead at the furlong pole.
He led in the stretch and held off a late challenge from Epicenter. Eventually, Mo Donegal passed Early Voting in the final strides.
The horse has a 3-1-0 record with earnings of $1,372,500. His career Beyer Speed Figures continue to rise. His career Beyer Speed Figure in the Preakness is a career best 105.
Early Voting was bred by Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky. He is out of the Tiznow mare Amour d’Ete. She is a half sister to champion sprinter Speightstown.
The sire of Early Voting is Gun Runner. He has five Grade 1 winners among his offspring.
Simplification
Simplification, a Florida-bred, four-year-old colt by Not This Time, will run in the Preakness Stakes at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course on Saturday.
The son of Candy Ride, whose dam is a stakes-placed Ballado’s Halo, has already won a Grade 1 stakes at Gulfstream Park and a Grade 3 at Churchill Downs.
Simplification will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. He has come close to winning three times.
His second-place finish on Itsmyluckyday (2013) and runner-up finish on Animal Kingdom (2011) could benefit the horse.
Earlier in his career, Simplification was more of a confirmed frontrunner. But he has shown versatility, including a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) on April 2.
And, he’s also been able to run a good race near the pace.
He’s also been a threat in the midstretch. In fact, he threatened Epicenter in the final mile of the Kentucky Derby.
While the two horses were wide throughout, they passed half a dozen more horses, and eventually came to within a length of each other.
