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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Horse racing: Super Saver is 5-2 favorite for Preakness


By BETH HARRIS
AP Racing Writer

BALTIMORE — Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver has been made the early 5-2 favorite for the Preakness Stakes.

Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Calvin Borel, Super Saver drew the No. 8 post in the field of 12 — two short of the maximum — for Saturday's 1 3-16-mile race at Pimlico.

Last year, Borel rode favored filly Rachel Alexandra to victory over the boys from the No. 13 post on the far outside.

Seventy favorites have won in the 134-year history of the Preakness, including the last two years. Besides 9-5 Rachel Alexandra last year, Big Brown was the 1-5 favorite when he won in 2008.

Lookin At Lucky, the beaten Kentucky Derby favorite, is the 3-1 second choice of Pimlico oddsmaker Frank Carulli. The colt drew the No. 7 post Wednesday after starting the Derby on the rail and finishing sixth. He'll be ridden by Martin Garcia in the Preakness, with Garrett Gomez switching to 10-1 Dublin.

The last beaten Derby favorite to win the Preakness was Point Given in 2001. He was trained by Bob Baffert, who oversees Lookin At Lucky.

Paddy O'Prado, the third-place Derby finisher, is the third choice at 9-2. He'll break from the No. 10 post.

Pletcher also will saddle Aikenite, who drew the No. 1 hole and is one of three horses listed at 20-1.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas is taking two shots at winning his sixth Preakness, and his first since 1999. He saddles Dublin, who was seventh in the Derby, and Northern Giant, who ran ninth in the Arkansas Derby. Northern Giant and Yawanna Twist, trained by Rick Dutrow Jr., are the two longest shots in the field at 30-1.

Dale Romans also has two Preakness starters. Besides Paddy O'Prado, he has 20-1 First Dude, third in the Blue Grass.

The field lost a potential starter Wednesday when a left hind leg injury knocked out Hurricane Ike.