Horse Racing: Breaking Stories and all the Latest from Yahoo Sports

Rain, rain likely not going away for Preakness at Pimlico (The Associated Press)

A steady rain soaked Pimlico Race Course on Saturday morning, and the forecast for the rest of the way was anything but sunny on Preakness Day. The National Weather Service predicted a 100 percent of rain throughout the day, along with wind at gusts of up to 20 mph. Nyquist trainer Doug O’Neill seemed unfazed by the possibility of saddling up his horse in the rain, with the forecast including a 70 percent chance of showers at 6 p.m.

Derby winner Nyquist ready for Preakness, even a rainy one (The Associated Press)

Let it rain again on the Preakness. Team Nyquist doesn’t seem concerned. A driving rainstorm didn’t faze American Pharoah as he splashed his way to victory in the second leg of the Triple Crown last year, and it sure appears like Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist will have to do the same thing in a bid to set up another Triple try in the Belmont Stakes.

Big Book wins Santa Anita feature by a head (The Associated Press)
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — Big Book won the $58,000 feature for fillies and mares by a head Friday at Santa Anita.

Spin Cycle cleans up in Belmont Park feature (The Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Spin Cycle rallied for a two-length victory over Man of Wiregrass on Friday in the $62,000 allowance feature for New York bred 3-year-olds on the turf at Belmont Park.

Go Maggie Go wins Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (The Associated Press)

Coming off a fourth-place finish in the prestigious Kentucky Oaks, Go Maggie Go found her way back into the winning circle in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. It was a glorious afternoon for trainer Dale Romans, trainer of Go Maggie Go and second-place finisher Ma Can Do It. After staying near the front for much of the 1 1/8-mile race, Go Maggie Go distanced herself from the competition at the finish to win by 2 1/2 lengths – her third first-place finish in four career races.

Derby winner Nyquist ready for Preakness, even a rainy one (The Associated Press)

Nyquist bids to keep Triple Crown trophy out of storage (Reuters)
For 37 years, there were not a lot of questions of what to do with the Triple Crown trophy. Back into storage it would go, most recently displayed at the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs, as year after year no single thoroughbred could win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. If Nyquist, winner of the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, triumphs at the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, and then the Belmont Stakes on June 11, he will become the 13th horse to clinch the Triple Crown.

What Nyquist wins if he captures the Preakness (Reuters)
If Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist wins the 141st Preakness Stakes on Saturday, and then the Belmont Stakes in June, he will become the 13th horse in more than 140 years to capture the Triple Crown of U.S. horse racing. To get that chance, Nyquist will have to outrace the other horses at 1-3/16 miles on Saturday at Pimlico.

Nyquist hopes skies won’t rain on his post parade (Reuters)

(Reuters) – Unbeaten Nyquist is a prohibitive favorite to add the second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown at the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, while his top rival hopes rain and a sloppy track at Pimlico will be the equalizer. Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist is rated a 3-5 odds-on pick from the third post position to keep alive his Triple Crown bid in the 1-3/16 mile race in Baltimore, having out dueled second choice Exaggerator in four previous meetings.

Preakness 2016: Everyone loves Nyquist, even his rivals (The Associated Press)

Everyone loves Nyquist. From Kentucky Derby winning trainers, to Preakness rivals, to millions of racing fans wondering whether another Triple Crown awaits, it tough to find anything wrong with a horse who has been nothing but perfect. ”I haven’t seen any reason to doubt that he can go ahead and do the Triple Crown,” says Barclay Tagg, who trained 2003 Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide.

Zippity Zoom ralies to win Belmont Park feature (The Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Zippity Zoom rallied strongly through the stretch Thursday to win the $65,000 allowance feature for New York-bred fillies and mares at Belmont Park.

Sensitively leads all the way to win Santa Anita feature (The Associated Press)
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — Sensitively led all the way to win the $63,000 feature by 5 3/4 lengths Thursday at Santa Anita.

Preakness 2016: Exaggerator back for another try at Nyquist (The Associated Press)

We’re not making this up: Exaggerator is 0 for 4 against Nyquist. ”We doubled-teamed him with Exaggerator and Swipe,” Desormeaux said at Thursday’s traditional alibi breakfast at Pimlico Race Course. Swipe, a promising Derby prospect as a 2-year-old, has finished second to Nyquist four times, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

All 12 slots taken for world’s richest race at Gulfstream (The Associated Press)
All 12 spots have been sold for next year’s inaugural $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park – the world’s richest horse race. The Pegasus World Cup purse tops the $10 million offered for the Dubai World Cup. The race is organized by the Stronach Group, which owns a number of tracks, including Gulfstream, Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields.

Feisty Lani to become first Japan-based horse in Preakness (The Associated Press)

In the weeks leading up to the Kentucky Derby, Japan-based Lani acted like a tourist on vacation. All of this would have been cause for concern for his handlers if the temperamental bad boy didn’t charge to a ninth-place finish in the Derby after being bumped at the outset. Now, after a calming two weeks at Belmont Park in New York, Lani is poised to make a run at greatness in the Preakness on Saturday.

Sizing up the field for the Preakness (The Associated Press)

BALTIMORE (AP) — A closer look at the field for the 141st running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday (horses listed by post position, with trainer, jockey, analysis, morning-line odds):

Happyness wins Belmont feature (The Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Happyness won the $80,000 allowance feature Wednesday at Belmont Park, improving her U. S. record to 2 for 2.

Derby winner Nyquist draws No. 3 post as Preakness favorite (The Associated Press)

Doug O’Neill couldn’t have done any better if he picked Nyquist’s post position himself. After Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist landed the No. 3 post for the Preakness in a blind draw Wednesday, O’Neill looked like a man with a winning lottery ticket. Unbeaten in eight races, Nyquist was made the overwhelming 3-5 favorite among 11 horses in Saturday’s race.

Post positions for Saturday’s Preakness Stakes (Reuters)
(Reuters) – Post position for Saturday’s 141st Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in Baltimore, after the draw on Wednesday (post position, HORSE, jockey, trainer, early odds): 1 CHERRY WINE, Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 20-1 2 UNCLE LINO, Fernando Perez, Gary Sherlock, 20-1 3 NYQUIST, Mario Gutierrez, Doug O’Neill, 3-5 4 AWESOME SPEED, Jevian Toledo, Alan Goldberg, 30-1 5 EXAGGERATOR, Kent Desormeaux, Keith Desormeaux, 3-1 6 LANI, Yutaka Take, Mikio Matsunaga, 30-1 7 COLLECTED, Javier Castellano, Bob Baffert, 10-1 8 LAOBAN, Florent Geroux, Eric Guillot, 30-1 9 ABIDING STAR, J.D. …

Nyquist draws third gate for Preakness Stakes (Reuters)

(Reuters) – Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist drew the third post for the 141st running of the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore on Saturday where he will seek the second jewel of U.S. thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown. Undefeated Nyquist, looking to stretch his unblemished record to 8-0, was rated an odds-on 3-5 pick after the draw for the 11-horse field in the 1-3/16 mile race at Pimlico. Rated the second pick for the Preakness at 3-1 was Kentucky Derby runner-up Exaggerator, who drew the fifth post position, with 8-1 third choice Stradivari drawing outside gate No. 11.

Derby winner and Canadian-owned Nyquist draws No. 3 post as Preakness favourite (The Canadian Press)

Doug O’Neill couldn’t have done any better if he picked Canadian-owned Nyquist’s post position himself. After Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist landed the No. 3 post for the Preakness in a blind draw Wednesday, O’Neill looked like a man with a winning lottery ticket. Unbeaten in eight races, Nyquist was made the overwhelming 3-5 favourite among 11 horses in Saturday’s race.

Sizing up the field for the Preakness (The Associated Press)

Meet Lani, the horse that threatens to make the Preakness weird (Yahoo Sports)

Lani’s looneyness could be the X factor that throws a wrench in Nyquist’s run for the Triple Crown.

Bob Baffert looks for Preakness upset with Collected (The Associated Press)
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert hopes Collected will deliver more than another ”opening act” in the Preakness on Saturday at Pimlico. Baffert and his charismatic colt American Pharoah won the Preakness on their way to a sweep of the Triple Crown last year. ”Last year we were the headliner,” Baffert quipped before the Kentucky Derby.

Gun Runner skips Preakness, leaving likely field of 11 (The Associated Press)
Gun Runner, third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, will skip the Preakness, leaving a likely field of 11 for the middle leg of the Triple Crown on Saturday at Pimlico. Trainer Steve Asmussen said Gun Runner, the Louisiana Derby winner, would remain at Churchill Downs. Gun Runner figured to be the third choice in the Preakness wagering.

Dale Romans, ‘happy to be alive,’ heads to Preakness (Yahoo Sports)

The longtime trainer was in a violent car accident just hours after the Kentucky Derby. Now he’s got a long-shot chance at the Preakness with Cherry Wine.

Preakness 2016: How well do you know its history? (The Associated Press)

BALTIMORE (AP) — How well do you know the history of the Preakness? Try this quiz:

Wilson guides Internal Bourbon to victory in Euro Turf Series trial at Woodbine (The Canadian Press)
It was a successful Euro Turf Series trial for Emma-Jayne Wilson and Internal Bourbon. Wilson guided the four-year filly to victory in a five-furlong trial turf race Monday morning at Woodbine Racetrack. Internal Bourbon was one of seven horses to participate in the exhibition race leading up to the Euro Turf series opener June 10.

Filly Bellamentary wins Angels Flight Stakes at Santa Anita (The Associated Press)
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — Bellamentary won the $75,000 Angels Flight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 2 1/4 lengths Sunday at Santa Anita.

Turco Bravo rallies to take Flat Out Stakes at Belmont Park (The Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Turco Bravo rallied to beat Securitiz by 1 1/4 lengths Sunday in the $100,000 Flat Out Stakes at Belmont Park.

Rawnaq wins Calvin Houghland Iroquois Steeplechase (The Associated Press)
Rawnaq regained the lead in stretch and held on to win the $200,000 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Steeplechase on Saturday at Percy Warner Park. The 9-year-old gelding became eligible for a $500,000 bonus offered by Baltimore’s Brown Advisory Group to the Iroquois winner for a victory in England in March in the Ryanair World Hurdle. When asked if he was willing to accept the challenge for his Irish-bred horse, owner Irvin S. Naylor of Reisterstown, Maryland, said, ”Yes.

I Will Score wins Lazaro Barrera by a neck at Santa Anita (The Associated Press)

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — I Will Score won the $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes for 2-year-olds by a neck Saturday at Santa Anita.

Unified wins Peter Pan Stakes, doubtful for Belmont Stakes (The Associated Press)
Unified held off Governor Malibu by three-quarters of a length Saturday in the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park. Unified remained unbeaten at 3 for 3 with the victory in the traditional prep for the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown on June 11. The colt and jockey Jose Ortiz were all out to prevail in the Peter Pan at 1 1/8 miles, raising the question of whether the Belmont Stakes at 1 1-2 miles falls within his scope.

Atascadero wins feature at Santa Anita (The Associated Press)
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — Atascadero won the $58,000 feature for California-bred or sired horses by three-quarters of a length Friday at Santa Anita.

Preakness 2016: Derby winner Nyquist ready for another (The Associated Press)

Happy, healthy and hangin’ in his new home, Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist is gearing up for another big race, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore next Saturday. With a victory, Nyquist would head to the Belmont Stakes in New York three weeks later with a shot at winning the Triple Crown. What a turn of events that would be for horse racing – a record 37-year drought between Triple Crowns followed by back-to-back Triples for only the second time in history.

PREAKNESS 2016: 5 New Shooters to Watch (The Associated Press)

Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist will face a slew of new challengers in the Preakness next Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

Quick learner: Real Smart wins Belmont feature in US debut (The Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Real Smart won her U.S. debut, beating Ice Festival by 2 3/4 lengths Friday in the $80,000 allowance feature for fillies and mares on the turf at Belmont Park.

Monmouth Park to open thoroughbred season on Saturday (The Associated Press)
OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) — Monmouth Park will open its thoroughbred meet on Saturday with an 11-race card that features the $75,000 Decathlon Stakes.

Irish trainer will run 2 horses in Iroquois Steeplechase (The Associated Press)

Champion Irish trainer Willie Mullins will start two horses in Saturday’s $200,000 (Grade 1) Calvin Houghland Iroquois Steeplechase in search of a $500,000 bonus. Mullins shipped Andrea and Graham Wylie’s Nichols Canyon and Shaneshill to Nashville to run in the 3-mile race over 18 national fences against six American opponents, all proven runners over the jumps. Shaneshill and Nichols Canyon arrived at Percy Warner Park on Tuesday and have been galloping and schooling in preparation.

Hunt rallies to win turf feature at Santa Anita (The Associated Press)
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — Hunt rallied four-wide to win the $63,000 feature for 3-year-olds by a length Thursday at Santa Anita.

Scholar Athlete makes the grade in Belmont feature (The Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Scholar Athlete set the pace Thursday to win the $80,000 allowance feature for 3-year-olds on the turf at Belmont Park.

Back in Baltimore, O’Neill eyes Preakness rerun with Nyquist (The Associated Press)

The last time trainer Doug O’Neill brought a Kentucky Derby winner to Baltimore he did much more than merely prepare I’ll Have Another for the Preakness. O’Neill was a guest at the Baltimore Ravens rookie camp, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at an Orioles game and capped the visit with a victory in the second leg of the Triple Crown. ”Baltimore is just a great city,” O’Neill said Thursday.

Gulfstream plans $12 million Pegasus World Cup for Jan. 28 (The Associated Press)
What would be the world’s richest thoroughbred race is being planned for early next year at Gulfstream Park. The inaugural edition of the $12 million Pegasus World Cup has been scheduled for Jan. 28, though no spots in the field has been publicly claimed. The Stronach Group announced the date on Wednesday, saying it was chosen to avoid conflicting with the Breeders’ Cup or the Dubai World Cup.

Elysea’s World wins Belmont feature by a half-length (The Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Elysea’s World beat Grey Stark by a half-length Wednesday, giving trainer Chad Brown a 1-2 finish in the $80,000 allowance feature for 3-year-old fillies on the turf at Belmont Park.

Jockey Wright, racing star of 1870s, elected to Hall of Fame (The Associated Press)
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — Jockey Wayne D. Wright, winner of nearly 1,500 races including each of the Triple Crown legs in separate years, and thoroughbred Tom Ochiltree, a star in the 1870s, have been elected to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.

NBC’s Derby TV ratings dip a year after Triple Crown (The Associated Press)

NBC’s audience for Nyquist’s victory in the Kentucky Derby has fallen by a half-million viewers a year after American Pharoah became the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. Although racing was hoping for a rise in popularity on the heels of a Triple Crown, NBC said Tuesday that Saturday’s Derby averaged 15.5 million viewers with 9.0 rating and 21 share. The 2015 Derby drew an average of 16 million viewers and a 9.6/23.

He’s here! Kentucky Derby champ Nyquist arrives at Pimlico (The Associated Press)

When it comes to selecting a stall for his Kentucky Derby winner at Pimlico Race Course, trainer Doug O’Neill doesn’t care much for tradition. Unbeaten Nyquist arrived at Pimlico on Monday and was eased into Stall 24 of the Stakes Barn with six other horses trained by O’Neill. The Kentucky Derby winner is usually kept in highly regarded Stall 40 of the Preakness Barn, home of several Triple Crown champions, including Secretariat and Seattle Slew.

Memories of Barbaro resonate a decade after tragic injury (The Associated Press)

The passage of time has trickled ever so slowly for trainer Michael Matz since Barbaro’s final gallop at the Preakness. A decade ago, Matz saddled the frisky Kentucky Derby winner with designs of pulling off an encore at Pimlico Race Course. Soon after emerging from the starting gate, Barbaro stumbled and broke his right hind leg.

Beholder wins $100,000 Adoration Stakes at Santa Anita (The Associated Press)
Three-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder won the $100,000 Adoration Stakes for fillies and mares by 2 1/2 lengths Sunday at Santa Anita. Ridden by Gary Stevens, Beholder ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.73 and paid $2.10, $2.10 and $2.10. Sheer Pleasure returned $2.40 and $2.10, while All Star Bub was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $2.60 to show.

No laughing matter: Joking wins Belmont’s Diablo Stakes (The Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Joking rallied from last for a 16-1 upset victory Sunday in the $100,000 Diablo Stakes at muddy Belmont Park.

Vancouver jockey hero looks to local cheers to bolster bid for Triple Crown win (The Canadian Press)

Although Mario Gutierrez couldn’t hear the raucous cheers from the thousands of people in Vancouver who watched him cross the finish line to take his second Kentucky Derby title in as many tries, he was warmed by the positive vibes coming from 3,200 kilometres away. “It’s very, very special to hear they’re cheering me on,” the 29-year-old jockey said of his fans who packed Hastings Race Course in Vancouver, the city he calls his second home and where he launched his racing career less than a decade ago. Spectators at the Vancouver horse-racing facility watched a telecast of the derby in Louisville, Ky. and the place exploded in excitement as Gutierrez took the lead, said racetrack spokesman Greg Douglas.