TAB offers betting on 2nd leg of US Triple Crown

Media Release
14 May 2009

TAB offers betting on second leg of US Triple Crown

Trackside Television will cross live to the United States this Sunday (17 May) for the second leg of the prestigious Triple Crown – the Preakness Stakes.

Run over 1900m, the US$1 million Preakness Stakes (NZ$1.57m) has attracted a stellar field, including the two star performers from the Kentucky feature races a fortnight ago.

The shock Kentucky Derby winner Mine that Bird will be out to prove sceptics wrong by attempting to win the second leg of the Triple Crown. The unheralded gelding romped to a stunning victory in the Kentucky Derby on 3 May but among the challengers lining up to take him on this weekend is the 20-length winner of the Kentucky Oaks, Rachel Alexandra.

Jockey Calvin Borel piloted both Mine That Bird and Rachel Alexandra to their respective Derby and Oaks victories; however this weekend he had to choose between the pair and opted for the filly. This will make him the first Kentucky Derby winning jockey ever to ride a different horse in the Preakness.

Rachel Alexandra is unbeaten in five starts since Borel became her jockey six months ago. The last time a filly won the Preakness Stakes was back in 1924, and Rachel Alexandra will be the first to try in 10 years.

Beaten favourite for the Kentucky Derby, Friesan Fire will again carry the interest of Australasians being the son of 2003 Group 1 Coolmore Classic winner Bollinger. Things went wrong from the start for Friesan Fire in the Kentucky Derby when the Louisiana Derby winner was bumped hard at the break, injuring his left front foot, and he subsequently finished 18th out of 19 horses.

Other fancied runners in the Preakness Stakes include Kentucky Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile, third place getter Musket Man, and Arkansas Derby winner Papa Clem.

The Preakness Stakes race will screen live on Trackside Television at 10.15am this Sunday (NZ time). Trackside Television airs on Channel 35 on SKY Digital and Channel 8 on SKY UHF.

Totalisator betting will be available through the New Zealand TAB from 12noon on Saturday 16 May. There will be no Fixed Odds betting on the race.

The third leg of the US Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes, which will run on 7 June (NZ time).љ Only 11 horses have won all three races of the US Triple Crown with the last being Affirmed in 1978.

The New Zealand TAB will also offer betting on an exceptional day of racing from Kranji in Singapore on Sunday night from 7:30pm, including the KrisFlyer International Sprint the Singapore Airlines International Cup.

ENDS

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