GQ SAYS…

Trainer / Jockey (Preakness Mounts W-P-S): Chad Brown / Jose Ortiz (4:0-0-0)

Last Race (Finish): Wood Memorial (2^nd)

Morning Line Odds: 7-2

If you like to wager on runners with early speed, then this is your guy. This lightly raced son of Gun Runner has led every step of the way in all three career efforts with bookend exceptions.

 In his racing debut was just a head behind the early leader out of the gate and not again until his most recent outing in the Wood Memorial, giving up the lead just a few strides before the wire to eventual fifth-place Derby finisher Mo Donegal, losing by a neck. He had earned enough Derby points to enter the Run for the Roses, but his connections wisely decided to pass and point to the Preakness.

I say “wisely” because of the suicidal pace set in the Derby which he certainly would have been a part. Another reason is Seth Klarman, proprietor of Klaravich Stables who grew up in Baltimore not far from Old Hilltop, hopes lightning strikes twice as he owned 2017 Preakness winner Cloud Computing who took a similar route. Most astute handicappers envision Early Voting dictating soft, early fractions but I believe not only will CA shipper #7 Armagnac and rank outsider #3 Fenwick potentially pressure the issue early, Epicenter has the ability to ensure the early pace is far from pedestrian. He’s bred to get this distance so he might be able to hold off all of the late runners. Make note of the early races on the Preakness card. If the track is kind to front-runners, then give then cast your ballot for Early Voting.