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sports Diaranson 18 Mei 2022

Epicenter is 6-5 favorite for Preakness without Rich Strike

By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Sports Writer
BALTIMORE (AP) — Kentucky
Derby runner-up Epicenter was set
Monday as the 6-5 morning line fa-
vorite for the Preakness Stakes, which
will be run without Rich Strike.
The surprise Derby winner at 80-1
is not in the field of nine for Satur-
day's $1.65 million race. Rich Strike's
owner felt the two-week turnaround
did not give the colt enough rest and
plans to enter him in the Belmont.
Kicking off the Preakness draw at
a Baltimore-area restaurant, emcee
Britney Eurton talked about Rich
Strike pulling off "one of the greatest
upsets in sports history. Though we
might not have the Kentucky Derby
winner, there is no shortage of talent-
ed runners," she said.
Rich Strike's absence clouds the sec-
ond jewel of horse racing's Triple
Crown and makes this the second
Preakness in four years without the
Derby winner.
Last year, Medina Spirit ran and
finished third at Pimlico after test-
ing positive at Churchill Downs for
a substance that was not allowed on
race day and was eventually disquali-
fied. In 2020, the the races were run "At first I thought, not good, but trainer transferred to Tim Yakteen. of them, they're there and we've got
out of order because of the pandemic. Johnny V is so smart," trainer Anto- Baffert is serving a suspension in to put up with them."
And in 2019, neither DQ'ed Derby nio Sano said. "He'll make the deci- Kentucky for medication violations Beyond Rich Strike, a handful of
champion Maximum Security nor el- sion if he wants to take the option and would not have been allowed to other horses expected to run in the
evated winner Country House went outside." saddle any horses in the Preakness. Preakness were removed from the
to the Preakness. Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath is No. 7 Armagnac is 12-1. field before the draw.
This time, Steve Asmussen-trained the third betting choice on the morn- Added to the field at the extra cost of Un Ojo, the one-eyed gelding whose
Epicenter, who drew the No. 8 post, ing line at 9-2 after Hall of Fame $150,000, No. 2 Creative Minister bruised foot kept him out of the Der-
fourth-place finisher Simplifica- trainer D. Wayne Lukas opted to is 10-1. No. 9 Skippylongstocking is by, was taken out of consideration
tion and 14th-place finisher Happy enter the filly in the Preakness. She 20-1, and longshot No. 3 Fenwick is Monday after the injury flared up.
Jack are the only horses back for the drew post position No. 4. 50-1. Trainer Ricky Courville reported vet-
Preakness from the Derby, which Early Voting is the 7-2 second choice "I think there's three or four horses erinarians looked Un Ojo over and
Rich Strike won with a furious charge after skipping the Derby. Trainer to outrun in here, personally, and I'm said, "He's not 100 percent."
down the stretch. Chad Brown targeted the Preakness way behind them," Fenwick trainer Brown's Zandon was also a possibili-
No. 6 Happy Jack, trained by 2012 for Early Voting, who drew the No. 5 Kevin McKathan said. "Steve's horse ty for the Preakness but now may also
Derby and Preakness winner Doug post position. (Epicenter) is obviously the bullet skip the June 11 Belmont with eyes
O'Neill, is 30-1. Simplification is While Taiba and Messier aren't in the going in. Tami Bobo's horse, Sim- on the Travers Stakes this summer at
6-1 and drew the rail spot with the Preakness, there is a Bob Baffert pres- plification, runs hard every time and Saratoga.
No. 1 post position and jockey John ence in Armagnac, a late entry whom then Wayne's filly, she's special, so
Velazquez set to ride. the two-time Triple Crown winning you have to outrun her. And the rest

Eritrea's Girmay takes Giro leg in win for African cycling

JESI, Italy (AP) — It's been The 22-year-old Girmay and second African overall af- country to win a single-day a thumbs up toward Girmay
a season of firsts for Biniam outsprinted none other than ter Alan van Heerden won in classic when he triumphed in before the pair crossed the
Girmay, and the Eritrean rid- Mathieu van der Poel — one nearby Pesaro in 1979. the Gent-Wevelgem race. line. The Dutchman was also
er added a stage victory in the of the top riders in the sport "I realize I'm making history The the first half of the the first rider to give Girmay
Giro d'Italia on Tuesday in — to win the 10th stage. but it's thanks to my team 196-kilometer (122-mile) a congratulatory hug.
his first Grand Tour to raise Now he's the first Black Afri- and my family," Girmay said. leg from Pescara to Jesi was Girmay, who rides for the
the profile of African cycling. can to win a stage at the Giro, "I'm really grateful to them." mainly flat along the Adriatic Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert
Girmay was then taken to coast before three fourth-cat- Matériaux team, completed
a local hospital after getting egory climbs later in the day. the stage in slightly more than
injured when he popped a Several riders attacked with- 4 ½ hours. Van der Poel and
champagne cork into his eye out success on the final climb Vincenzo Albanese crossed
during the podium celebra- to Monsano and the ensuing second and third, respective-
tion. descent. ly, both with the same time as
Spanish rider Juan Pedro Girmay nearly missed a turn Girmay.
López of the Trek-Segafredo on the descent but was able Stage 11 on Wednesday is an
team maintained his 12-sec- to recover in time to rejoin entirely flat 203-kilometer
ond lead over João Almeida the leaders for the finale. (126-mile) leg from Sant-
in the overall standings as the Girmay started his sprint early arcangelo Di Romagna to
three-week race approached and Van der Poel pulled even Reggio Emilia that is linked
the half-way stage. Romain with him at one point. Then to the production of parme-
Bardet is 14 seconds back. Girmay stepped up the pace san cheese in the area.
In March, Girmay became the and Van der Poel — realizing The race ends May 29 in Ve-
first rider from a sub-Saharan he had no answer — flashed rona.