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A14 sports
Wednesday 18 May 2022
Epicenter is 6-5 favorite for Preakness without Rich Strike

By STEPHEN WHYNO er transferred to Tim Yak-
AP Sports Writer teen. Baffert is serving a
BALTIMORE (AP) — Ken- suspension in Kentucky for
tucky Derby runner-up Epi- medication violations and
center was set Monday as would not have been al-
the 6-5 morning line favor- lowed to saddle any horses
ite for the Preakness Stakes, in the Preakness. No. 7 Ar-
which will be run without magnac is 12-1.
Rich Strike. Added to the field at the
The surprise Derby winner extra cost of $150,000, No.
at 80-1 is not in the field of 2 Creative Minister is 10-1.
nine for Saturday’s $1.65 No. 9 Skippylongstocking
million race. Rich Strike’s is 20-1, and longshot No. 3
owner felt the two-week Fenwick is 50-1.
turnaround did not give the “I think there’s three or four
colt enough rest and plans horses to outrun in here,
to enter him in the Belmont. personally, and I’m way be-
Kicking off the Preakness hind them,” Fenwick train-
draw at a Baltimore-area er Kevin McKathan said.
restaurant, emcee Britney “Steve’s horse (Epicenter)
Eurton talked about Rich is obviously the bullet going
Strike pulling off “one of the in. Tami Bobo’s horse, Sim-
greatest upsets in sports his- plification, runs hard every
tory. Though we might not Kentucky Derby entrant Epicenter works out at Churchill Downs Thursday, May 5, 2022, in Louisville, time and then Wayne’s filly,
have the Kentucky Derby Ky. Associated Press she’s special, so you have
winner, there is no shortage to outrun her. And the rest
of talented runners,” she 2019, neither DQ’ed Derby by 2012 Derby and Preak- Fame trainer D. Wayne Lu- of them, they’re there and
said. Rich Strike’s absence champion Maximum Se- ness winner Doug O’Neill, kas opted to enter the filly we’ve got to put up with
clouds the second jewel of curity nor elevated winner is 30-1. Simplification is 6-1 in the Preakness. She drew them.”Beyond Rich Strike, a
horse racing’s Triple Crown Country House went to the and drew the rail spot with post position No. 4. handful of other horses ex-
and makes this the second Preakness. the No. 1 post position and Early Voting is the 7-2 sec- pected to run in the Preak-
Preakness in four years with- This time, Steve Asmus- jockey John Velazquez set ond choice after skipping ness were removed from
out the Derby winner. sen-trained Epicenter, to ride. the Derby. Trainer Chad the field before the draw.
Last year, Medina Spirit who drew the No. 8 post, “At first I thought, not good, Brown targeted the Preak- Un Ojo, the one-eyed geld-
ran and finished third at fourth-place finisher Sim- but Johnny V is so smart,” ness for Early Voting, who ing whose bruised foot
Pimlico after testing posi- plification and 14th-place trainer Antonio Sano said. drew the No. 5 post posi- kept him out of the Derby,
tive at Churchill Downs for finisher Happy Jack are the “He’ll make the decision if tion. was taken out of consider-
a substance that was not only horses back for the he wants to take the option While Taiba and Messier ation Monday after the in-
allowed on race day and Preakness from the Derby, outside.” aren’t in the Preakness, jury flared up. Trainer Ricky
was eventually disqualified. which Rich Strike won with Kentucky Oaks winner Se- there is a Bob Baffert pres- Courville reported veteri-
In 2020, the the races were a furious charge down the cret Oath is the third bet- ence in Armagnac, a late narians looked Un Ojo over
run out of order because stretch. ting choice on the morn- entry whom the two-time and said, “He’s not 100
of the pandemic. And in No. 6 Happy Jack, trained ing line at 9-2 after Hall of Triple Crown winning train- percent.”q
Eritrea’s Girmay takes Giro leg in win

for African cycling

Heerden won in nearby became the first rider from early and Van der Poel
Pesaro in 1979. a sub-Saharan country to pulled even with him at
“I realize I’m making history win a single-day classic one point. Then Girmay
but it’s thanks to my team when he triumphed in the stepped up the pace
and my family,” Girmay Gent-Wevelgem race. and Van der Poel — real-
said. “I’m really grateful to The the first half of the izing he had no answer
them.” Girmay was then 196-kilometer (122-mile) — flashed a thumbs up
taken to a local hospital leg from Pescara to Jesi toward Girmay before the
after getting injured when was mainly flat along the pair crossed the line. The
Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay celebrates after winning the 10th stage he popped a champagne Adriatic coast before three Dutchman was also the
of the Giro D’Italia cycling race from Pescara to Jesi, Italy, cork into his eye during the fourth-category climbs lat- first rider to give Girmay a
Tuesday, May 17, 2022. podium celebration. er in the day. congratulatory hug.
Associated Press
Spanish rider Juan Pedro Several riders attacked Girmay, who rides for the
JESI, Italy (AP) — It’s been outsprinted none other López of the Trek-Segafre- without success on the fi- Intermarché-Wanty-Gob-
a season of firsts for Biniam than Mathieu van der Poel do team maintained his nal climb to Monsano and ert Matériaux team, com-
Girmay, and the Eritrean — one of the top riders in 12-second lead over João the ensuing descent. pleted the stage in slightly
rider added a stage vic- the sport — to win the 10th Almeida in the overall Girmay nearly missed a more than 4 ½ hours. Van
tory in the Giro d’Italia on stage. standings as the three- turn on the descent but der Poel and Vincenzo Al-
Tuesday in his first Grand Now he’s the first Black week race approached was able to recover in banese crossed second
Tour to raise the profile of African to win a stage at the half-way stage. Ro- time to rejoin the leaders and third, respectively,
African cycling. the Giro, and second Afri- main Bardet is 14 seconds for the finale. both with the same time
The 22-year-old Girmay can overall after Alan van back.In March, Girmay Girmay started his sprint as Girmay.q