Saffie Osborne out to grab a slice of Triple Crown history in the Preakness Stakes on Heart Of Honor

A place in US racing history stands before Saffie Osborne on Saturday as she bids to become only the second female rider to win a leg of the Triple Crown when partnering Heart Of Honor in the 150th Preakness Stakes (12.01am BST).

Moreover, no British-trained horse has won any running of a Triple Crown race – the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes or Belmont Stakes – with Dermot Weld’s 1990 triumph with Go And Go in the Belmont Stakes the only European success in any of them.

Legendary US rider Julie Krone steered Colonial Affair to victory in the 1993 Belmont Stakes, and Jamie Osborne, trainer of Heart Of Honor, said neither he, nor owners Jim and Claire Bryce, considered swapping Saffie Osborne for a local rider at Pimlico.

The trainer said: “People have said, ‘Why don’t you use somebody who has experience at the track, more experience than her on dirt?’ But for us, that’s not an option. 

“Jim and Claire have known Saffie for many years; they’ve seen her grow up. She’s part of the team. So for us, there was never a consideration to let anyone else ride him. She knows the horse.

“I enjoy working with her. It’s kind of given me a new enthusiasm. I’ve been doing this for 25 years. Unless you’re producing very good horses every year, it’s easy to lose your enthusiasm. I think since she’s come along she makes me feel a little bit younger.”

Heart Of Honor: narrowly beaten in the UAE Derby at Meydan last monthCredit: Dubai Racing Club/Liesl King

Heart Of Honor was beaten an agonising nose in the UAE Derby at Meydan last month by Admire Daytona, but is a general 25-1 outsider for the Preakness Stakes.

The decision by the connections of Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty to miss the Preakness has led to some hand-wringing in the US about the state of the Triple Crown – last won by Justify in 2018 – but Journalism, the runner up to Sovereignty at Churchill Downs, is in the nine-runner line-up.

His trainer Michael McCarthy said: “I have a lot of confidence in my horse. I think it's a great spot to be in. I'd have liked to have been talking with a Derby win under my belt, but it's a tough race to win. 

"None of these Triple Crown races are easy to win. We've brought a horse here who seems like he's good enough to get the job done on Saturday.”

While Journalism is the strong favourite, among the horses he is taking on is the unbeaten Goal Oriented, saddled by eight-time Preakness Stakes-winning trainer Bob Baffert.

“Journalism is definitely the horse to beat,” said Baffert. “He's proven it. If he brings his A-game he's going to be tough. We need luck.”

Pimlico is due to be demolished and rebuilt following the Preakness, which is live on Racing TV. The storied contest will move to nearby Laurel Park in 2026, with the aim of returning to its historic home in Baltimore in 2027.

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'We're not being dreamers' - Jamie Osborne eyeing Preakness and Belmont Stakes for stable star Heart Of Honor 

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