by Kim Thomas
The Preakness is this Saturday, and so continues my quest to do a little bit of looking at each of the horses. One thing Z taught me from the Kentucky Derby experience a few weeks ago is that you can never ignore any horse in a race. As a well respected equine photographer, this approach has served my friend well over the last 25 years or so. I promised Z and I promised you that even though I am not an expert in any way, I will keep going as 3-year-old Thoroughbreds vie to either win or upset their competitor's bid for the elusive triple crown of racing.
(above are the silks from M and D Stable, owned by Mike and Debbie Horning)
Of course, MINE THAT BIRD would have to win the Preakness this Saturday, then the Belmont in three weeks in order to achieve that lofty goal (last accomplished by Boone County, Kentucky native Steve Cauthen aboard AFFIRMED).
So I will start with a gorgeous dark horse by the name of Tone It Down, a colt by Medaglia d’Oro and out of the Rollicking mare, Chattin.
What I like best about Tone It Down is that he was bred by Barbara Cross Graham, who is still riding horses at the age of 74; his trainer William Horning played football for the University of Maryland; and the owners Mike and Debbie Horning had their first date at Pimlico thirty years ago. I am, after all, a hopeless romantic, even when it comes to Thoroughbred racing.
What does not necessarily shiver me timbers is that Tone It Down has only won two non-stakes races, his earnings are only $54,720 and his jockey has been switched. Maryland-based and Pimlico star jockey Mario Pino knows this horse, and even though the legendary Eclipse Award-winning Kent Desormeaux has won his share of Preakness races and has been crowned king of the track, my bet is that Tone It Down will most likely not respond well to the change. However, if you're gonna change riders, you might as well get the best of the best, and that is, of course, what Desormeaux is (he won a record 599 races in 1989)!
What I like best about Tone It Down is that he was bred by Barbara Cross Graham, who is still riding horses at the age of 74; his trainer William Horning played football for the University of Maryland; and the owners Mike and Debbie Horning had their first date at Pimlico thirty years ago. I am, after all, a hopeless romantic, even when it comes to Thoroughbred racing.
What does not necessarily shiver me timbers is that Tone It Down has only won two non-stakes races, his earnings are only $54,720 and his jockey has been switched. Maryland-based and Pimlico star jockey Mario Pino knows this horse, and even though the legendary Eclipse Award-winning Kent Desormeaux has won his share of Preakness races and has been crowned king of the track, my bet is that Tone It Down will most likely not respond well to the change. However, if you're gonna change riders, you might as well get the best of the best, and that is, of course, what Desormeaux is (he won a record 599 races in 1989)!
pray for peace in the Preakness, y'all,
Kimmy
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