Louis Quatorze, a 16th-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, won the Preakness on Saturday, ending trainer D. Wayne Lukas' streak of six straight victories in Triple Crown races.
The victory was particularly satisfying for trainer Nick Zito, who had three horses finish second during Lukas' remarkable run.Louis Quatorze led all the way in winning the 1 3-16 mile classic on a sunny day at Pimlico as Lukas-trained horses lost a Triple Crown race for the first time since the 1994 Kentucky Derby.
Ridden by Pat Day, Louis Quatorze got to the finish in 1:53 2-5 to equal the Preakness record set in 1985 by Lukas-trained Tank's Prospect.
Louis Quatorze finished 31/4 lengths in front of Skip Away, who was three lengths in front of the Lukas-trained Editor's Note. Favored Cavonnier, the runner-up in the Kentucky Derby, finished another three lengths back.
It was a big victory for the 42-year-old Day, who had ridden the Lukas-trained Prince of Thieves to third in the Derby. But Lukas decided to replace Day with Jerry Bailey, who had won the Derby on Grindstone. That colt was retired last week because of a chipped bone in his right knee.
So Day ended up with his fifth Preakness victory and his third in a row.
"This horse has so much ability he's got to run good," Zito, 48, said before the race. "If he doesn't, I'll be extremely disappointed."
Louis Quatorze ran brilliantly and Zito, who has won the Derby twice, got his first Preakness victory.
During Lukas' six-race streak, Zito's Go For Gin finished second to Tabasco Cat in the 1994 Preakness and Belmont Stakes, and his Star Standard finished second to Thunder Gulch in last year's Belmont.
The other two Lukas starters were never in contention. Victory Speech finished fifth and Prince of Thieves, the third favorite, finished seventh.
The completed order of finish after fourth place Cavonnier was Victory Speech, In Contention, Prince of Thieves, Allied Forces, Secreto de Estado, Tour's Big Red, Mixed Count and Feather Box.
It was the third time in 10 years that a horse who finished 10th or worse in the Derby rebounded to win at the Preakness. The other two were Snow Chief, 11th in the 1986 Derby, and Hansel, 10th in the 1991 Derby.
"No question about it," a jubilant Zito said when asked if Louis Quatorze would go on to the June 8 Belmont Stakes.
"He came home running," an equally jubilant Day said.
But Louis Quatorze almost was foiled at the break when Secreto de Estado almost interfered with him. But Day got Louis Quatorze clear and he was never headed as he scored the first wire-to-wire victory at the Preakness since Aloma's Ruler in 1982.
Louis Quatorze led the field past the finish line around the first turn and into the backstretch. Victory Speech was second going into the first turn and Skip Away was third with Feather Box fourth going into the turn.
When they entered the backstretch Skip Away replaced Victory Speech in second while Prince of Thieves moved into fourth behind his stable mate.
Skip Away then stalked Louis Quatorze down the backside around the turn and into the stretch. But with every step of the stretch run, it became more apparent that Louis Quatorze was not going to be caught.
"We work hard," Zito said. "Good things come to people who try hard."
It was the third victory in six starts this year for Louis Quatorze, owned by William Condren, Joseph Cronacchia and Georgia Hoffman. The colt was bred in Kentucky by Mrs. Hoffman.
The $458,120 winner's share from a purse of $704,800, boosted to $6,749,120 the career earnings of Louis Quatorze, named for Louis XIV, the Sun King of France.