Preakness 151 Previews | Frank Angst

Talk to Frank Angst here. In just a moment.

We'll talk with Mackenzie Pfeiffer to close the show.

Our 444 hurt pics are up next. I can't believe how little

Berry's had to work today. This is really starting to

bother. I think you said 9 words today,

which is a spectacular job by you.

Free flight, free hotel room, all the foods paid for and he

says 9 words and he still makes a living.

Frank Angst, you don't have to. You got a lot more to do than

that. Don't.

Celebrate it, celebrate it. I guess I'm the code today

there. It is you are the code or Bow

and Co Frank Eggs, of course, our editor over at

bloodhorse@bloodhorse.com here at Laurel Park for the weekend.

Nice to make the trip down here. I, you know, I, I kind of

forgot. I'd only been here once before.

I'd forgotten how out in the country this place really is.

And I love that aspect. Of it, I mean it's, it's a

really nice area of Maryland. There's a lot of nice areas of

Maryland, but even the suburbs around here, they, I mean, not

the boarding audience, but they're well planned.

Like you can get around and they left a lot of trees.

So you you feel like you're really out in the country.

It's. Beautiful.

That's a really beautiful spot. No Pimlico this year, but down

here at Laurel and no Derby winner once again in the race.

We just talked with Bob about this and I thought he made an

interesting point, which is it might just be easier right now

to point to another mile for these three years.

And his essential thought was, instead of bending to the whims

of trainers, maybe we need to just give this thing one more

year. Because once they get back to

Belmont and it's a mile and a half, maybe people will be more

convinced that maybe the mile 316th isn't so bad.

Where are you on Golden Tempo? Not coming, are we?

Are you at a breaking point with this stuff?

I I mean, it just seems like that, you know, this is the

third, third time in five years of a healthy Derby winner is

just the connections have decided not to give the

Preakness a try. Bob might be on to something

there. You know, if you don't have to

do the amount of half maybe, maybe you feel like you have a

better chance of getting 2 classic wins if by just going to

the Belmont to certainly work for sovereignty last year.

So, so there there might be some thought about that.

But boy, you would think $2,000,000 would think.

You would think. Any part of you and and I have

this at least it it and maybe I'm just the guy who's always

looking for the positive angle in horse racing, but the fact

that a a young guy like Whitbeck, many young guy like

Riley Mott brought their horses here from the Derby.

I see that as OK. Some of those guys are at least

still thinking, hey, 2,000,000 bucks Grade 1.

I still got to chase those things that I think a positive.

Sign I I I think the odd thing about this year is because last

year journalism came so, so that was a Derby runner up and a lot

of people were excited about that and he rightfully so, he

delivered a huge effort. Well, we have the 3rd place

Derby horse coming this year. The difference I guess is he

wasn't one of the favourites of Derby first journalism was so

people were already on board with that horse really into that

horse. Ocelli kind of just ran his best

race in the Derby really. So he comes back as he's still a

maiden amazingly enough. So that maybe not as much buzz,

but we do have the 3rd place Derby horse so, so that, that's

a good thing. Well.

And frankly, incredible. If you draw a line through his

Holy Bowl, he looks like a horse that should be favored in the

Kentucky Derby. Yeah, I mean.

Excuse me in the prequence. I'm sorry, yes, I I mean he's my

picks, OK, They definitely. He's not.

Yeah, every, but you know what I mean, right?

I mean a six place finisher by 4 legs, that sort of thing.

He he lines up as the kind of horse that wins the Preakness.

There's some good horses coming here and there's going to be,

you can guarantee there's going to be a good story.

There always is. And it's a chance to highlight

some new horses that weren't in a Derby, but that there are

several Derby horses in here. So, you know, it's it's a big

race, it's $2,000,000 race, it's a Grade 1, it's a classic.

So it's going to be good. We don't probably have all the

horses we'd like here, but but this is where we're at and I'm

excited. About is Brittany Russell the

headline this weekend just because of what happened in the

Derby and obviously Jen Antenucci a couple years ago.

I'm not, by the way. I'm not fighting it.

I think it's a great headline and I like Brittany Russell a

lot. And you know, it's interesting,

you know, Frank, I'm sure you watch the numbers of what

people, the general public versus horse racing people.

Those of us who are at the track a lot aren't surprised when

people like Sharita Bow win big races or people, you know, like

Brittany Russell, We see them every day, right?

Those are the sorts of people that we expect to win in our

sport. But you know, certainly when

you've been doing something for 150 years and a woman's never

been at in that spot to win it or something like that, it's

still a big deal as well. That balance, you know, I'm

sure, I'm sure it strikes you. As well yeah and it it'll be I

mean Cherie had already had success in Kentucky or New York

and really a Breeders' Cup. So everywhere Britt Brittanys

had a lot of success in Maryland.

So this would be a good opportunity for some people

that, you know, TuneIn for Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup

to become familiar with a really good trainer and a really sharp

mind here for. Sure, today the the oaks of this

place called the Black Eyed Susan, the flowers, of course,

that they use in the in the Garland for the the winner of

the Preakness run today mile and an eighth Frank for three-year

old Phillies here. I always love this race because

it's the it's the other three-year old Phillies, right

And and we always get a very good interesting field.

I feel like this year is no different.

Where'd you land in that one, and who do you think's an

interesting runner? You know, I I landed on Holly's

holiday. OK, we put together, how about

that back-to-back wins at Oakland Park.

I really like that. I think she can build on it.

Very silly thing. And she kept looking at me and

it's the steaks bar in here is tremendous.

And she happened to be one of the main windows, just just

that, just outside one of the main windows.

And I was like, you know, this horse is handling that there.

That's probably the only spot with a lot of commotion.

Yeah. And she was good.

Didn't it seemed that she seemed to be kind of curious just

enough just there's a lot of people here to see me, but

didn't get overreacted or and wasn't.

I think that would be Maxfield's first Grade 2 winner.

Oh wow. So that would be, that's an

interesting angle as far as the breeding side of things.

But as you mentioned, you know, it ran as a as a 2 year old last

fall in Kentucky at Keeneland and Churchill just didn't have

it. The old Mcpeak special bring her

back as a three-year old, she's ready to go.

Yeah, it looks like she liked the distance.

Oh, I agree. That is, I do feel like that

gets overlooked sometimes in the handicapping this race.

But the mile and 8th, you do want to have some breeding

behind that horse. Our guy Barry Spears, by the

way, really likes Ivy Girl, the local horse here at the Weber

City most. You know this, I come to the

Preakness every year and my thought is land take a lot of

Maryland trainers, Mid-Atlantic trainers, so Fairhill or or what

one of our Laurel basically. And every year I screwed up and

I land on the New York eyes and the trainers coming up from

Florida and I just handicapped this card and I have like 2

Maryland trainers. So I, I don't know why I can't

get this straight, but if I feel like when I when I go back year

after year, the Maryland trainers do very well.

And it makes a lot of sense. These are big days.

They get a chance to show off for their owners, show their

owners a good time. They want to be at their very

best. So I think that it's not just

dumb luck that that occurs. But yeah, I haven't.

I'll focus on that tomorrow. Louis.

I really. Will, you can apologize to

Amelia Green at another time. There you are.

The Preakness itself, the different horses in here.

Taj Mahal, obviously one of those horses that can Frank,

think about it. 2022, a woman had never won as a trainer, a

Triple Crown race. We could have all three Triple

Crown races with a female representative by essentially,

you know, 30 hours from now, something like that.

Is he good enough to win here, you think?

I mean, I think he is good enough.

I think he's facing a tough task.

Like the rail wouldn't necessarily be tough just in any

ordinary race, but with 14 horses and quite a few of them

have early speed, I think maybe he's going to have to well, you

want to say he has to rate and just and then find a gap or you

just go. But I a.

Lot of a lot of just go in that. Race, if this horse goes gate to

wire from the rail, he he's going to deserve a lot of credit

and maybe he will. I mean, he's nothing.

He's done nothing wrong. He's won it.

All he can do is win, you know? Well, we were joking too.

His, you know, he won the Tessio, which is the prep and

it's run here and it is essentially the same layout

except it's a 16th short, right? So essentially he's just going

to start a 16th behind where he did that.

He ran 2 races. He got out ahead by 10 lengths

early in the race. Sheldon slowed him down.

Sheldon Russell, the jockey. And then when everyone came up,

he heard the footsteps and he took off.

He wins by 8 1/2. Now, he's not going to be able

to do that on Saturday. But but it was, it was funny to

see him so professionally just get out of the gate.

He was so far ahead that they had to rate and slow down and

then move on. But frankly, those those

fractions early on weren't so fast, Frank, that he couldn't

repeat those on Saturday. So I hear you.

He could get out. He could get loose and win.

Yeah, or or get and I mean I think he, I think he probably

can rate, he just hasn't needed to necessarily.

Yeah, in this company here in Maryland, you mentioned Ocelli

finishing, they're in the Derby. Can he run it back?

Can he hit the board again? I.

Mean, I do think this race sets up for more of a closer in this

track. So I have a complicated opinion

about this track. OK, I think it's basically

closer favoring. But because we've seen a lot of

unfortunately seen a lot of short fields in the last few

years, you will see horses go gate the wire because it's a six

horse field and there's no other speed in it.

But with 14 horses with quite a bit of speed, I, I and on this

track I, I do think horses are going to be coming from behind.

Yeah, it's fascinating. I know Sully will certainly try

to do that. Tyler Gafolion into ride again

after a very successful 3rd place finish there in in the

Derby. You broke the.

News on Derby Week from Steve Asmussen The Chipancho was going

to run here instead of in the Kentucky Derby.

How concerned are you that they decided to come here instead of

the Derby? Or does he have a shot?

Here, I mean, it's of some concern, but we are talking

about Steve Asmussen and he kind of made an early decision.

I think he was really going to have to be blown away to decide

to go to the Derby. When I really talked with him,

you know, he announced that scratch that Derby week, but I

think he was leaning toward not going in the in the Derby all

along and the Preakness. So it is it, it has been pretty

much the main plan I think for some time.

And we're talking about a guy. That's a lot of reasons.

Yeah, no, he knows exactly what he's doing.

Including the Preakness a couple.

Times I earn honor Napoleon Solo out of New York both considered

contenders. I frankly do not know what to do

with Napoleon Solo at this point, especially to my own 3

sixteens I I. You know, moments a few days

after the Derby, I was really expecting myself to take

Napoleon Solo in this race. I think he ran into speed bias

track at aqueducts. OK, If you look at that card, a

lot of closers won that day. He was on the front end and ran

fairly well but couldn't sustain it.

He has sustained it in the 2 year old.

I mean he's won a grade one and two, ran a big race that day.

So I was thinking maybe he bounces back here, but now I

feel like there's just too much speed.

I am going to have him on some, you know, ticket pick four type

tickets. But basically he's my second

choice at this point. Blown off the map in the wood

memorial. Exactly.

It's not like he was. He lost 5-6 likes.

He kept going. Pretty far.

And then the closers got him, which they were getting horses

all day in that track. So it's ultimately I landed on

Incredible. OK.

I do. I really, I think he got, I

mean, it's funny. Well, why would you take

Incredible over a cell? You just beat him on the square.

But I think he got a it's a weird thing to say, but I think

the Derby is a good prep for him.

He hadn't he had been he hadn't raced since the Virginia Derby.

It was quite a seven weeks. I believe it had been quite a

few weeks and I think he needed to race.

You know, the numbers suggested he ran an improved race in the

Derby. The connections clearly saw

enough that they're like let's get in their Preakness.

I mean, the horse must be doing things right in the morning.

So I think he's advancing. I think he has the right style

and we already know he's got a horse.

So I it answers enough questions for me to be my.

Yeah, you draw the line through the Holy Bowl and incredible

looks, like I said, like a like a Preakness winner.

His name's Frank Inks joins us from Blood Horse, bloodhorse.com

at BH under score. F Inks on the Socials if you

want to find him there. What do you make a great white

in this field? I mean, he's still a tough call.

He is, isn't he? Yeah, I know.

I think he's going to be. Well, bet I agree with that.

He might be the second most popular horse in the country

right now. We certainly get a lot of

feedback on all the stories and it's deservedly so.

Help us at all by the way, Andy Van code right does the morning

jog yesterday with that horse. I'm like, I don't need any more

spotlight on this horse. Poor John Ennis, man, that's.

Unbelievable. I mean, he's a really cool

horse. He has a massive head as

everybody people know. He's just a massive horse.

Very cool, very easygoing horse though, so a lot of people will

be cheering for him. John Ennis thinks he's still

growing, so that that'll be something that for if that

happens. All right, so here's a cold

double if you want to play Frank's cold double today,

tomorrow, Black Eyed Susan, Preakness, the three horse

today, Holly's Holiday and the 12 horse Incredible tomorrow.

So, Frank, thanks, Rob. Bye buddy.

Sounds good, good to see. You man, I ran into Frank at the

farm party last night. You you enjoy a good farm.

Party idea. Oh, it's a good time.

Good seeing Josh and he does such tremendous work for us at

Blood Horse. Always good to spend time with

Josh. Josh, a great guy.

Josh Ponds, the Ponds family up there appreciate them very much.

Frank, appreciate you as well at BH Under Score F Angst on the

Socials and of course bloodhorse.com for everything we

are working on here at Laurel Park throughout the weekend.