The world knows about Medina Spirit by now: the gritty Derby victory, the failed drug test and a long wait to see if the colt would be disqualified. But what about Baffert’s other horse in the Preakness?
Concert Tour was undefeated in three races heading into the Arkansas Derby on April 10. But after he finished a distant third in that race, Baffert decided to have him skip the Derby and focus on the Preakness. The Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who has won the Preakness twice, picks up the mount.
Barnes, the Baffert assistant who is in Baltimore, said he was pleased with Concert Tour’s progress.
“He was a little on the light side after the Arkansas Derby, and Bob and Gary West opted to pass on the Derby and run a fresh horse in the Preakness,” Barnes said of the colt’s owners. “We’ve basically seen everything you’d want to see. No hiccups at all. His coat is beautiful. He’s eating well. He should be ready for Saturday.”
The Derby controversy aside, a victory from either Medina Spirit or Concert Tour would give Baffert a record eight victories in the Preakness. He is currently tied with Robert Wyndham Walden, who saddled seven Preakness winners between 1875 and 1888.
If Smith, 55, wins aboard Concert Tour, he will break his own record (set at age 52 in 2018 aboard Justify) as the oldest jockey to win the race. John Velazquez, Medina Spirit’s rider, is 49.
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