Preakness Stakes

(Curlin, 2007 Preakness Stakes Winner)

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Like so many others, I can't help but feel a little uneasy about today's Preakness Stakes. We have Eight Belles to thank for that. The valiant filly did not deserve to go the way she did, but she was handled humanely. There was nothing they could do for her. I am right there with all those hoping to see Big Brown win this afternoon, and ultimately hoping to see him sweep the Triple Crown. But I have this gut feeling--call it worry, call it a premonition, call it paranoya, call it whatever you like--that something is going to go wrong here. Not that Big Brown, or anyone, is going to get hurt. Just that maybe, just maybe he can't win this one. It does seem silly to expect this to be the rough one after the 20 post blowout he did two weeks ago. Big Brown looks good. He's healthy, he's happy. Now he just needs to not be unlucky. The Preakness Field is:

1. Macho Again
2. Tres Borrachos
3. Icabad Crane
4. Yankee Bravo
5. Behindatthebar (SCR)
6. Racecar Rhapsody
7. Big Brown
8. Kentucky Bear
10. Stevil
11. Riley Tucker
12. Gaint Moon
13. Gayego
14. Hey Byrn