No trouble in running this time as War Of Will wins Preakness Stakes

When the horse they call 'WOW' flashed beneath the finish line in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, the racing world was thrilled by the scintillating turn of events on a Triple Crown trail that has been both riotous and bizarre — and yet the result was oddly logical.

Of course War Of Will won it.

The War Front colt carried to victory young Tyler Gaffalione, who found himself in the heated spotlight just two weeks earlier when his same mount was impeded by Maximum Security in the Kentucky Derby.

The 24-year-old also carried the silks of Gary Barber, a sportsman whose statement in the wake of the Derby fiasco staunchly defended both Gaffalione and his horse from accusations levelled by Gary West, Maximum Security's owner.

While the Kentucky Derby featured bumper-car action on the final turn, with first-place finisher Maximum Security disqualified to 17th and War Of Will elevated from eighth to seventh when Country House was named the winner, the Preakness didn't make viewers wait for such drama.

As soon as the gates flew open, 20-1 shot Bodexpress reared and bucked. The Gustavo Delgado trained-runner tossed jockey John Velazquez before he even had a chance to race a step, then sprinted loose on the outside all the way around the racetrack, with suspense mounting as he stayed in stride with the other 12 horses in the field.

The racing world heaved a sigh of relief when, after crossing the finish line as part of the group in the 1m1½f test, Bodexpress was apprehended by the outrider—but only after he turned back to head the wrong way down the stretch. Velazquez emerged from the incident unscathed.

The loose horse was far enough to the outside to avoid Gaffalione's detection during the race.

"To be honest, I didn't know until we pulled up," he said.

Throughout the race, the young rider was in the zone. After breaking from stall one, the same post he drew in the Kentucky Derby, Gaffalione sat coolly on War Of Will as the colt came nicely to hand while saving ground on the first turn.

Although War Of Will had been gunned from the inside post in the Derby to avoid getting cut off in the 19-horse melee, and then raced rankly into the clubhouse turn, this time he settled remarkably well.

"He was more relaxed than usual today," Gaffalione said. "That was the key. We warmed him up to do so. Mark said, 'Just jog him today, let him walk, try and keep him as calm as possible,' and it worked out."

Warrior's Charge had a one-length lead through three-quarters in 1:10.56, but as he hit the top of the stretch, he drifted out and began to fade. The golden path opened for War Of Will on the rail, exactly where he'd raced all the way around the wide dirt strip in Baltimore. This time, the colt got the clean trip he'd been looking for.

"We just followed Warrior's Charge the whole way around there," Gaffalione said. "He came off the fence going into the turn, and I thought about waiting to go outside him, but he kept going out, out, out. So I took my shot and went through there. The horse didn't hesitate, and he finished the job."

Cementing his status in history with every beat of his pounding heart, War Of Will edged away under brisk urging to a length-and-a-quarter victory. The final time on a fast track was 1:54.34.

Calumet Farm's Everfast, a 29-1 shot boldly entered by trainer Dale Romans, closed from 11th to finish second by a nose over Owendale, who also rallied after racing ninth early. Warrior's Charge held for fourth.

Tepin won the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2016 for trainer Mark CasseCredit: Mark Cranham

Before War Of Will ran in the Kentucky Derby, Casse said the colt's relatively unscathed emergence from the Louisiana Derby was "a small miracle." After the Kentucky Derby, he was still amazed by the fact his horse did not go down in the chaos.

"I felt joy and relief that he was okay and that we didn't have the worst disaster in horse racing history," he said. "I would like to think, if it wasn't for the incident, it would have been an interesting race down the lane.

"This is the life we live with each and every day. We always have curveballs thrown at us on a consistent basis."

With Maximum Security bypassing the Preakness, Casse said he wasn't out for revenge after the Kentucky Derby debacle—he was just looking for a chance to prove his horse's talent to the world.

"I just wanted a fair shot. That's all I wanted," he said. "I wanted him to get his chance to show everyone how good he is, because he is a super horse. You know, we were coming back in two weeks, and there were a lot of fresh shooters. So I am extremely proud. But a lot of people said, 'Oh, is this revenge?' No, I just wanted to win."

Maximum Security (second right) edges right into War Of Will (second left) in the Kentucky DerbyCredit: Andy Lyons

Still, a challenge looms. While War Of Will is slated to ship back to Keeneland and the care of assistant trainer David Carroll, who played a key role in his development over the winter at Fair Grounds, the gauntlet has already been thrown down by West.

One day before the Preakness, West challenged the four Kentucky Derby contenders who were involved in the incident to race against his colt again, offering $5 million to the horse who can beat him. Included in this proposition was the suggestion of a $5 million return from the owner of any of the quartet of horses who loses to Maximum Security.

Although Casse hinted his Preakness winner could be bound for New York and the Belmont Stakes on June 8 and Maximum Security is considered on track for a start in the July 20 betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park - the trainer also added: "Gary Barber is a sportsman, and I'm sure they'll meet again one day, but only under the right circumstances for the benefit of racing."

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