And he arrived, he said, at the conclusion that a wide trip is a losing trip. It's very important that you have a good clean trip in the second turn here. You have only four paths where you can make your move. But the most combustible assumption would be that Monarchos, because his style might not suit the track or because he's unlikely to duplicate his superlative Derby performance, won't run well here Saturday. He has made a positive impression at Pimlico and has experienced no negative effects, Ward said, from the Derby effort.
Trainers choose races that agree with their horses' strengths and styles.
Ward said he wouldn't choose the Preakness for Monarchos. But the trainer has no choice. The Triple Crown series runs through Pimlico, where some explosions might be heard Saturday afternoon. His trainer, Bob Baffert, attributed the misbehavior to exuberance. When Point Given went to the track, he wore a patch just above the foot of his left hind leg.