Dylan Bundy is confident he can be the dominant pitcher he was before an elbow injury interrupted a promising start to his professional career.
Bundy, on the cusp of pitching in his first game since 2012, spoke Thursday at Ripken Stadium, home of short-season Single-A Aberdeen and his new home for at least the next few weeks. He said his arm feels great, and he's eager to make his first start Sunday on the road against Hudson Valley.
"I feel like I can be the same as I used to be," Bundy said. "It just takes time."
Bundy, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2011 first-year player draft and the Orioles' top prospect, according to Baseball America, has spent the last year recovering from Tommy John surgery. His original target to return to the mound was June 28, a year after his surgery, but he's two weeks ahead of schedule.
He said he could pitch for the Orioles this season, but his focus is on proving himself again and regaining his comfort on the mound. Facing live hitters in a game is something he has wanted to do for months.
"I just want to get through my rehab process healthy and then get out there competing again," Bundy said. "Everything else will take care of itself."
Bundy, 21, said he expects to make three or four starts with Aberdeen, but he's not sure how long he'll stay with the team. He has not pitched more than four innings or thrown more than 72 pitches at a time since his injury, but he'll be stretched to five innings or 75 pitches — whichever comes first — Sunday.He said he no longer thinks much about his arm when he's pitching and, after a year, is back to the place where he feels most comfortable — the mound.
"He's kind of getting the chains unleashed," IronBirds manager Matt Merullo said.
Bundy said the most difficult part of the rehab was the first month after he had the surgery. He'd go for walks just to get some fresh air and not stay barricaded in his apartment.
"It's tough laying around," he said. "Especially me, I don't like to lay around the couch all day."
After the first month, the recovery process went smoothly, he said. Bundy was finally able to ride a bike and exercise a little bit. He worked out with his brother, Bobby — who is also rehabbing from elbow surgery — in Sarasota, Fla.
Bundy said his fastball reached 94 mph in his past two four-inning starts in extended spring training, and that his fastball command the last two starts was better than it was in the first three.
As for his secondary pitches, he said they're better now than they were at the end of his first professional season, when he was in Double-A and was called up to the big leagues.
"Maybe not the tightest spin or the depth that I want," Bundy said, "but as far as locating, I feel a lot better about it."
Part of him wants to breeze through the starts as quickly as he can, but part of him knows he should take things slowly. He wants to look at the results because he's competitive, but knows the process is more important.
Said Bundy: "As long as I go out there and pitch my game and my arm is fine, I'll be happy."
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Monday, April 13, 2015
Kevin Gausman 'wasn't too thrilled' with his performance vs. the Tigers
Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman dominated the Detroit Tigers on June 2, 2013, allowing just one run in six innings en route to a 4-2 win.
On Wednesday, though, the Tigers got the best of Gausman in his first start of the season. The right-hander gave up five earned runs in four innings as Detroit (24-12) jumped out to a 5-0 lead and went on to beat the Orioles (20-18), 7-5, in the series finale at Camden Yards.
“I wasn’t too thrilled with it,” Gausman said. “I thought I did some good things early on. As the game progressed, my fastball started going up in the zone.”
Gausman said his splitter wasn’t as good as it has been lately, which upset him more than anything else. He felt good about his stuff overall, but he didn't get the results he wanted.
"OK. Wasn't as good as we had hoped,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said after the game. “But had a real good first inning. Some counts in his favor he didn't make work. He'll get better. Capable of better."
Gausman, 23, was called up Wednesday to face the potent Tigers lineup after Showalter decided that left-hander Wei-Yin Chen would be better suited to face the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.
Early in the game, it appeared as though Gausman was on his way to another impressive performance against Detroit. He retired seven Tigers in a row to start the game, cruising through the heart of the lineup unscathed.
Gausman was clocked at 98 mph, and his aggressive, yet calculated approach matched that of a potential long-term starter.
In the third inning, though, the Tigers played small ball with one out to take a 2-0 lead.
Bryan Holaday reached on an infield single before Danny Worth singled to right field. Ian Kinsler loaded the bases with another infield single, and then Miguel Cabrera singled to left field to drive in two runs.
The next inning, Gausman’s rocky stretch continued. Holaday singled to drive in a run, Worth reached on an RBI bunt single, and Rajai Davis’ sacrifice fly scored one more. As Gausman pointed out, the bottom half of Detroit’s lineup did more damage than the top half.
Detroit’s No. 6 through No. 9 hitters combined for five hits and five runs, fueling the two innings that gave the Tigers a six-run lead after the top of the fifth.
“I just tried to go out there and get through those innings,” Gausman said. “The fourth was a tough inning for me. So was the third.”
Gausman, who is nearly fully recovered from pneumonia, threw 70 pitches in the bullpen Tuesday after being called up from Norfolk. Though he was capped at 75 pitches in the minors, Showalter bumped that number to 85 against Detroit.
Showalter wanted five or six innings from Gausman, but he only made it through four. He reached 87 pitches (54 strikes) after retiring Kinsler, and his afternoon came to a close.
Gausman said he didn’t even think about his pitch count or know what it was up to at any point. He felt fine physically, despite only three days’ rest. The main issue was making mistakes to hitters that were able to take advantage.
Gausman’s future is now uncertain. Showalter plans to discuss his status and figure out the best course of action prior to the team’s six-game road trip.
“We are going to take in today and talk about it on the plane,” Showalter said. “He’ll go with us. We will decide between now and tomorrow what we are going to do next. Probably decide tonight, or this afternoon before we leave.”
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On Wednesday, though, the Tigers got the best of Gausman in his first start of the season. The right-hander gave up five earned runs in four innings as Detroit (24-12) jumped out to a 5-0 lead and went on to beat the Orioles (20-18), 7-5, in the series finale at Camden Yards.
“I wasn’t too thrilled with it,” Gausman said. “I thought I did some good things early on. As the game progressed, my fastball started going up in the zone.”
Gausman said his splitter wasn’t as good as it has been lately, which upset him more than anything else. He felt good about his stuff overall, but he didn't get the results he wanted.
"OK. Wasn't as good as we had hoped,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said after the game. “But had a real good first inning. Some counts in his favor he didn't make work. He'll get better. Capable of better."
Gausman, 23, was called up Wednesday to face the potent Tigers lineup after Showalter decided that left-hander Wei-Yin Chen would be better suited to face the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.
Early in the game, it appeared as though Gausman was on his way to another impressive performance against Detroit. He retired seven Tigers in a row to start the game, cruising through the heart of the lineup unscathed.
Gausman was clocked at 98 mph, and his aggressive, yet calculated approach matched that of a potential long-term starter.
In the third inning, though, the Tigers played small ball with one out to take a 2-0 lead.
Bryan Holaday reached on an infield single before Danny Worth singled to right field. Ian Kinsler loaded the bases with another infield single, and then Miguel Cabrera singled to left field to drive in two runs.
The next inning, Gausman’s rocky stretch continued. Holaday singled to drive in a run, Worth reached on an RBI bunt single, and Rajai Davis’ sacrifice fly scored one more. As Gausman pointed out, the bottom half of Detroit’s lineup did more damage than the top half.
Detroit’s No. 6 through No. 9 hitters combined for five hits and five runs, fueling the two innings that gave the Tigers a six-run lead after the top of the fifth.
“I just tried to go out there and get through those innings,” Gausman said. “The fourth was a tough inning for me. So was the third.”
Gausman, who is nearly fully recovered from pneumonia, threw 70 pitches in the bullpen Tuesday after being called up from Norfolk. Though he was capped at 75 pitches in the minors, Showalter bumped that number to 85 against Detroit.
Showalter wanted five or six innings from Gausman, but he only made it through four. He reached 87 pitches (54 strikes) after retiring Kinsler, and his afternoon came to a close.
Gausman said he didn’t even think about his pitch count or know what it was up to at any point. He felt fine physically, despite only three days’ rest. The main issue was making mistakes to hitters that were able to take advantage.
Gausman’s future is now uncertain. Showalter plans to discuss his status and figure out the best course of action prior to the team’s six-game road trip.
“We are going to take in today and talk about it on the plane,” Showalter said. “He’ll go with us. We will decide between now and tomorrow what we are going to do next. Probably decide tonight, or this afternoon before we leave.”
thass@baltsun.com
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Big night for rookie catcher Caleb Joseph in Orioles' loss to Tigers
Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph picked up his first career major League hit in the bottom of the fourth inning Tuesday night when he lined a fastball from Detroit Tigers left-hander Drew Smyly on an 0-1 count to center field.
“It was good, but it doesn’t matter because we lost,” Joseph said after the game. “Personal achievements don't mean crap to me right now. I’m just trying to win games for the Orioles.”
When he reached first base, the crowd at Camden Yards recognized the milestone with a standing ovation. Joseph, 27, started his career 0-for-8 before the hit.
In addition to collecting his first hit, Joseph guided starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez to arguably the right-hander's best outing at Camden Yards. Jimenez shut out the Tigers in seven innings, surrendering just three hits and striking out seven on 97 pitches.
“Joseph caught a great game out there,” Jimenez said. “He has a really good idea of what he was doing.”The Orioles drafted Joseph in the seventh round of the 2008 amateur draft. After bouncing around the organization's farm system, Joseph finally entered the majors this season.
With starting catcher Matt Wieters on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow strain, manager Buck Showalter has started both Joseph and Steve Clevenger. While Clevenger has 14 hits in 46 at-bats, Joseph had struggled to get into a groove at the plate.
He was 0-for-3 against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, and finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout the following day. After hitting into a fielder’s choice to end the second inning Tuesday night, though, Joseph finally delivered.
Tigers first baseman Victor Martinez handed him the ball as the fans stood and cheered.
Joseph also threw out three base runners -- two caught stealing -- and advanced Jonathan Schoop to second base on a sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the seventh.
After the game, Showalter immediately praised the first-year catcher and credited him for helping the Orioles stay in front until the ninth.
Showalter said he was impressed by Joseph’s ability to successfully lay down a bunt.
When players bat third or fourth in the order during their entire minor league career, they are not accustomed to bunting in the eighth or ninth spot in the majors, Showalter said, but Joseph did so smoothly and effectively.
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“It was good, but it doesn’t matter because we lost,” Joseph said after the game. “Personal achievements don't mean crap to me right now. I’m just trying to win games for the Orioles.”
When he reached first base, the crowd at Camden Yards recognized the milestone with a standing ovation. Joseph, 27, started his career 0-for-8 before the hit.
In addition to collecting his first hit, Joseph guided starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez to arguably the right-hander's best outing at Camden Yards. Jimenez shut out the Tigers in seven innings, surrendering just three hits and striking out seven on 97 pitches.
“Joseph caught a great game out there,” Jimenez said. “He has a really good idea of what he was doing.”The Orioles drafted Joseph in the seventh round of the 2008 amateur draft. After bouncing around the organization's farm system, Joseph finally entered the majors this season.
With starting catcher Matt Wieters on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow strain, manager Buck Showalter has started both Joseph and Steve Clevenger. While Clevenger has 14 hits in 46 at-bats, Joseph had struggled to get into a groove at the plate.
He was 0-for-3 against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, and finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout the following day. After hitting into a fielder’s choice to end the second inning Tuesday night, though, Joseph finally delivered.
Tigers first baseman Victor Martinez handed him the ball as the fans stood and cheered.
Joseph also threw out three base runners -- two caught stealing -- and advanced Jonathan Schoop to second base on a sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the seventh.
After the game, Showalter immediately praised the first-year catcher and credited him for helping the Orioles stay in front until the ninth.
Showalter said he was impressed by Joseph’s ability to successfully lay down a bunt.
When players bat third or fourth in the order during their entire minor league career, they are not accustomed to bunting in the eighth or ninth spot in the majors, Showalter said, but Joseph did so smoothly and effectively.
thass@baltsun.com
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Terps baseball team to play Old Dominion on Friday in NCAA regional
COLLEGE PARK — A record-setting season for the Maryland baseball team will continue this week as the Terps qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1971.
The Terps earned the No. 2 seed in the Columbia regional, and they will play against third-seeded Old Dominion (36-24) from Conference USA on Friday at 1 p.m. in Columbia, S.C.
"It's a collaboration of a lot of work from our coaching staff and players," Maryland coach John Szefc said. "It's a really good feeling of at least getting some payback for all the blood, sweat and tears we've put into it."
The Maryland team gathered at Looney's Pub at noon Monday, eating Old Bay wings and watching a massive projection screen to find out where they would be playing.
A part of the final regional to be announced on the selection show, Terps players and fans stood and cheered when the team learned its destination.
Maryland has already set the program's single-season record for wins, and they currently have a 36-21 record heading into the tournament. The Terps finished 15-14 in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season.
And then Maryland boosted its resume with convincing wins over Virginia and Florida State in the ACC tournament to make the championship game before losing, 9-4, to Georgia Tech.
"To get down there and play two of the top five teams in the country, and actually end up beating them," Terps sophomore right-handed pitcher Kevin Mooney (North Harford) said. "It really lifted up our spirits and made us believe that much more that we can make it."
The other two teams in Maryland's region — top-seeded South Carolina and No. 4 seed Campbell — will play at 7 p.m. Friday. The two winners will play Saturday, while the two losers also will meet in an elimination game.
The winner of the four-team, double-elimination regional will play the winner of the Charlottesville regional in the super regionals from June 6 to 9.
The Terps, who have won 11 of their past 13 games, are 4-4 against the Top 8 national seeds this season.
"We just played pretty well as a team at the end of the year," Mooney said. "Got really hot, and I think that helped push us into the postseason."
Maryland is looking for its second-ever NCAA tournament win, and its first since 1970. Maryland is 1-6 all-time in the tournament. The Terps will head to South Carolina on Wednesday.
"This is awesome," Maryland sophomore outfielder Anthony Papio said. "I think everyone's really pumped to go down to South Carolina, which is a great place to play, and a team that's been pretty dominant the last few years. So that's going to make it even more exciting for us."
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The Terps earned the No. 2 seed in the Columbia regional, and they will play against third-seeded Old Dominion (36-24) from Conference USA on Friday at 1 p.m. in Columbia, S.C.
"It's a collaboration of a lot of work from our coaching staff and players," Maryland coach John Szefc said. "It's a really good feeling of at least getting some payback for all the blood, sweat and tears we've put into it."
The Maryland team gathered at Looney's Pub at noon Monday, eating Old Bay wings and watching a massive projection screen to find out where they would be playing.
A part of the final regional to be announced on the selection show, Terps players and fans stood and cheered when the team learned its destination.
Maryland has already set the program's single-season record for wins, and they currently have a 36-21 record heading into the tournament. The Terps finished 15-14 in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season.
And then Maryland boosted its resume with convincing wins over Virginia and Florida State in the ACC tournament to make the championship game before losing, 9-4, to Georgia Tech.
"To get down there and play two of the top five teams in the country, and actually end up beating them," Terps sophomore right-handed pitcher Kevin Mooney (North Harford) said. "It really lifted up our spirits and made us believe that much more that we can make it."
The other two teams in Maryland's region — top-seeded South Carolina and No. 4 seed Campbell — will play at 7 p.m. Friday. The two winners will play Saturday, while the two losers also will meet in an elimination game.
The winner of the four-team, double-elimination regional will play the winner of the Charlottesville regional in the super regionals from June 6 to 9.
The Terps, who have won 11 of their past 13 games, are 4-4 against the Top 8 national seeds this season.
"We just played pretty well as a team at the end of the year," Mooney said. "Got really hot, and I think that helped push us into the postseason."
Maryland is looking for its second-ever NCAA tournament win, and its first since 1970. Maryland is 1-6 all-time in the tournament. The Terps will head to South Carolina on Wednesday.
"This is awesome," Maryland sophomore outfielder Anthony Papio said. "I think everyone's really pumped to go down to South Carolina, which is a great place to play, and a team that's been pretty dominant the last few years. So that's going to make it even more exciting for us."
thass@baltsun.com
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Maryland Jockey Club president rooting for California Chrome to win Triple Crown
Maryland Jockey Club President Tom Chuckas says he is rooting for California Chrome to win the Triple Crown — both for the health of the industry and the storyline.
"Just simply having a Triple Crown keeps the industry and the public generally enthused about what's going on," Chuckas said Monday morning in a post-Preakness Stakes news conference at Pimlico Race Course. "It keeps the eyes on it, which brings attention and hopefully creates more customers, and so on."
He also called California Chrome a "feel-good story" with a team comprised of "regular people" who were agreeable and gracious during their time in Baltimore.
California Chrome can become the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Feel-good element aside, Chuckas is happy the horse is in the hunt to boost attendance at Pimlico and Laurel Park during the Belmont Stakes on June 7.
"We'd have a nice day, but our attendance here will be two-and-a-half to three times what it is without a Triple Crown [contender]," Chuckas said. "People will wager more. Overall it's a big economic impact for us."
Chuckas estimates the attendance at Belmont will be around 100,000 because of the intrigue of the Triple Crown.
With a record-breaking attendance of 123,469 at the Preakness on Saturday, Chuckas said the entire weekend was "very successful."
He said there were very few expulsions and arrests and that the entire process went smoothly.
"The infield was magical," Chuckas said. "Overall, the accolades came and I couldn't have been happier."
Despite the success, Chuckas make the point again that he believes the Triple Crown should undergo a scheduling change. Currently, the three races occur in a five-week time frame, but Chuckas would like to space out the races to improve the quality of competition.
"We have an obligation to our people to put the best product on the table, and we're not doing it," he said, reiterating a point he made in multiple interviews last week.
He likened changing the schedule to making a structural change in another professional sports league. He said some critics of a spread-out format would argue that an asterisk should be placed next to the horse's name if he or she is to win the Triple Crown.
However, he said MLB, the NBA and the NFL have made all kinds of changes over the years, so this would be no different.
"Do you really believe the Seattle Seahawks should have an asterisk by their name because there's a change in the format?" Chuckas asked. "I don't think so. I really don't."
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"Just simply having a Triple Crown keeps the industry and the public generally enthused about what's going on," Chuckas said Monday morning in a post-Preakness Stakes news conference at Pimlico Race Course. "It keeps the eyes on it, which brings attention and hopefully creates more customers, and so on."
He also called California Chrome a "feel-good story" with a team comprised of "regular people" who were agreeable and gracious during their time in Baltimore.
California Chrome can become the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Feel-good element aside, Chuckas is happy the horse is in the hunt to boost attendance at Pimlico and Laurel Park during the Belmont Stakes on June 7.
"We'd have a nice day, but our attendance here will be two-and-a-half to three times what it is without a Triple Crown [contender]," Chuckas said. "People will wager more. Overall it's a big economic impact for us."
Chuckas estimates the attendance at Belmont will be around 100,000 because of the intrigue of the Triple Crown.
With a record-breaking attendance of 123,469 at the Preakness on Saturday, Chuckas said the entire weekend was "very successful."
He said there were very few expulsions and arrests and that the entire process went smoothly.
"The infield was magical," Chuckas said. "Overall, the accolades came and I couldn't have been happier."
Despite the success, Chuckas make the point again that he believes the Triple Crown should undergo a scheduling change. Currently, the three races occur in a five-week time frame, but Chuckas would like to space out the races to improve the quality of competition.
"We have an obligation to our people to put the best product on the table, and we're not doing it," he said, reiterating a point he made in multiple interviews last week.
He likened changing the schedule to making a structural change in another professional sports league. He said some critics of a spread-out format would argue that an asterisk should be placed next to the horse's name if he or she is to win the Triple Crown.
However, he said MLB, the NBA and the NFL have made all kinds of changes over the years, so this would be no different.
"Do you really believe the Seattle Seahawks should have an asterisk by their name because there's a change in the format?" Chuckas asked. "I don't think so. I really don't."
thass@baltsun.com
twitter.com/TrevorHass
Race-by-race results from Preakness Day
Race 1: Jockey Julian Pimentel rode Magic Cash to victory in the first of 12 races on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course. Phlash Phelps took second and Relentless Ride finished in third in the 1 1/6-mile race. The winner finished in 1 minute, 44.98 seconds.
Originally set for turf, riders raced on dirt due to Friday’s rain.
Race 2: Lunar Rock and jockey Sheldon Russell won the Deputed Testamony Starter Handicap, finishing with a time of 1:44.51. No Brakes placed second for the second consecutive year, while Regal Warrior took third.
Race 3: Saddling Romp City, jockey Horacio Karamanos rode the rail to victory in the 1 1/6-mile race, which was moved from turf to dirt. Karamanos made a stretch run to pull away from second-place finisher Going to Market, rode by Victor Carrasco, and third-place finisher Tom Kitten, rode by Orlando Bocachica.
Saturday’s race was the second running of the $55,000 Xpressbet purse race.
Race 4: Jockey Victor Espinoza had a warmup before saddling California Chrome in the the Preakness Stakes race. He rode Majestic Hussar to victory in the LifeBridge Health Good Neighbors Race, finishing with a time of 58:46.
“Well, it's a good start at least,” Espinoza said. “It’s always good to win before the big race.”
Espinoza and Majestic Hussar, who came in with 8-5 odds, beat out Silvertonguedtommy and Awesome Arceno, who placed second and third respectively.
Race 5: Happy My Way and his trainer Joe Bravo stormed out to an early lead and never looked back, dominating the six-furlong Maryland Sprint Handicap with a time of 1:09:21.
Lemon Drop Dream placed second in the six-horse race, while Service for Ten came in third and Sneaking Uponyou came in fourth. Happy My Way, a 4-year-old gelding owned by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank's Sagamore Racing, came in as the 6-5 favorite and cruised to victory.
Race 6: No. 7 horse Ageless and his jockey Luis Garcia won the day’s first race on turf. They ran The Very One Stakes with a time of 58.91 in one of the day’s closer finishes.
Perfect Measure placed second, Quality Lass came in third and Jewel of a Cat ended up in fourth. Fifteen horses raced in total, and the pack remained relatively tight throughout.
Race 7: Trainer Derek Ryan joked that he was due for a win on Preakness Day, and jockey Javier Castellano gave him one with a victory aboard Meadowood in the fifth running of the $100,000 Chick Lang Stakes.
Second-place finisher Brewing led for the majority of the six-furlong dirt race before Meadowood closed in to finish first with a time of 1:10.11. Prudhoe Bay ended the race in third.
“Everything went perfect, according to plan,” Ryan said.
Race 8: Wallyanna was in second place for most of The James W. Murphy Stakes. Yet in the final two furlongs, the horse and his jockey, Javier Castellano, surged in front of Open the Bank to finish with a time of 1:39.09.
Open the Bank placed second, while Thunder Strike and Allstar came in third and fourth, respectively. Wallyanna’s odds were 8-1 coming into the mile race. Castellano won his second-straight race.
Race 9: Somali Lemonade and Daydreamin Gracie were neck-and-neck in The Gallorette Handicap, but once the field made the turn for the final stretch, Watsdachances crept up, finishing in second place just short of Somali Lemonade, jockeyed by Luis Saez.
“She gives me everything,” said Saez, who clocked in at 1:44.16.
Triple Arch placed third in the 63rd running of the $150,000 race.
Race 10: Class Leader and jockey James Graham came from behind to win The Sir Barton Stakes, completing the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:43.79. He's a Chance held an early lead, but Life in Shambles, Six Spot and Sea View Chico came back to take second, third and fourth, respectively.
Race 11: Utley and his jockey Edgar Prado trailed for most of the race, but pulled ahead in the final five seconds to win one of the day’s more tightly contested events. Utley, coming in on the outside, defied 8-1 odds to seize first place with a time of 1:43.88.
Hey Leroy placed second and Chamois came in third in the 113th running of the $400,000 Longines Dixie Stakes.
Race 12: Preakness: The anticipation surrounding the 139th running of the Preakness came to an end with the Kentucky Derby winner and 3-5 favorite California Chrome winning the race, keeping his hopes at the Triple Crown alive.
Saddled by jockey Victor Espinoza, California Chrome began in the No. 3 post position, cruising in third place for most of the 1 3/16-mile race. But once the chestnut colt made the final turn, he kicked into high gear, finishing the race in 1:35.65 ahead of second place Ride on Curlin and third place Social Inclusion.
Next for California Chrome is The Belmont Stakes on June 7, with a shot of becoming the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.
“New York, here we come,” trainer Art Sherman said.
Race 13: Sir Sidney started out strong. But going around the final turn of the 6-furlong race, the horse experienced a little traffic, falling back to third. Luckily a late charge gave him and jockey Sheldon Russell the victory in the final race of the 2014 Preakness weekend.
Orlando Bocachica rode Nevsky to a second place finish and Julian Pimentel saddled Negrito for third.
The victory was Russell’s second of the day.
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Originally set for turf, riders raced on dirt due to Friday’s rain.
Race 2: Lunar Rock and jockey Sheldon Russell won the Deputed Testamony Starter Handicap, finishing with a time of 1:44.51. No Brakes placed second for the second consecutive year, while Regal Warrior took third.
Race 3: Saddling Romp City, jockey Horacio Karamanos rode the rail to victory in the 1 1/6-mile race, which was moved from turf to dirt. Karamanos made a stretch run to pull away from second-place finisher Going to Market, rode by Victor Carrasco, and third-place finisher Tom Kitten, rode by Orlando Bocachica.
Saturday’s race was the second running of the $55,000 Xpressbet purse race.
Race 4: Jockey Victor Espinoza had a warmup before saddling California Chrome in the the Preakness Stakes race. He rode Majestic Hussar to victory in the LifeBridge Health Good Neighbors Race, finishing with a time of 58:46.
“Well, it's a good start at least,” Espinoza said. “It’s always good to win before the big race.”
Espinoza and Majestic Hussar, who came in with 8-5 odds, beat out Silvertonguedtommy and Awesome Arceno, who placed second and third respectively.
Race 5: Happy My Way and his trainer Joe Bravo stormed out to an early lead and never looked back, dominating the six-furlong Maryland Sprint Handicap with a time of 1:09:21.
Lemon Drop Dream placed second in the six-horse race, while Service for Ten came in third and Sneaking Uponyou came in fourth. Happy My Way, a 4-year-old gelding owned by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank's Sagamore Racing, came in as the 6-5 favorite and cruised to victory.
Race 6: No. 7 horse Ageless and his jockey Luis Garcia won the day’s first race on turf. They ran The Very One Stakes with a time of 58.91 in one of the day’s closer finishes.
Perfect Measure placed second, Quality Lass came in third and Jewel of a Cat ended up in fourth. Fifteen horses raced in total, and the pack remained relatively tight throughout.
Race 7: Trainer Derek Ryan joked that he was due for a win on Preakness Day, and jockey Javier Castellano gave him one with a victory aboard Meadowood in the fifth running of the $100,000 Chick Lang Stakes.
Second-place finisher Brewing led for the majority of the six-furlong dirt race before Meadowood closed in to finish first with a time of 1:10.11. Prudhoe Bay ended the race in third.
“Everything went perfect, according to plan,” Ryan said.
Race 8: Wallyanna was in second place for most of The James W. Murphy Stakes. Yet in the final two furlongs, the horse and his jockey, Javier Castellano, surged in front of Open the Bank to finish with a time of 1:39.09.
Open the Bank placed second, while Thunder Strike and Allstar came in third and fourth, respectively. Wallyanna’s odds were 8-1 coming into the mile race. Castellano won his second-straight race.
Race 9: Somali Lemonade and Daydreamin Gracie were neck-and-neck in The Gallorette Handicap, but once the field made the turn for the final stretch, Watsdachances crept up, finishing in second place just short of Somali Lemonade, jockeyed by Luis Saez.
“She gives me everything,” said Saez, who clocked in at 1:44.16.
Triple Arch placed third in the 63rd running of the $150,000 race.
Race 10: Class Leader and jockey James Graham came from behind to win The Sir Barton Stakes, completing the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:43.79. He's a Chance held an early lead, but Life in Shambles, Six Spot and Sea View Chico came back to take second, third and fourth, respectively.
Race 11: Utley and his jockey Edgar Prado trailed for most of the race, but pulled ahead in the final five seconds to win one of the day’s more tightly contested events. Utley, coming in on the outside, defied 8-1 odds to seize first place with a time of 1:43.88.
Hey Leroy placed second and Chamois came in third in the 113th running of the $400,000 Longines Dixie Stakes.
Race 12: Preakness: The anticipation surrounding the 139th running of the Preakness came to an end with the Kentucky Derby winner and 3-5 favorite California Chrome winning the race, keeping his hopes at the Triple Crown alive.
Saddled by jockey Victor Espinoza, California Chrome began in the No. 3 post position, cruising in third place for most of the 1 3/16-mile race. But once the chestnut colt made the final turn, he kicked into high gear, finishing the race in 1:35.65 ahead of second place Ride on Curlin and third place Social Inclusion.
Next for California Chrome is The Belmont Stakes on June 7, with a shot of becoming the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.
“New York, here we come,” trainer Art Sherman said.
Race 13: Sir Sidney started out strong. But going around the final turn of the 6-furlong race, the horse experienced a little traffic, falling back to third. Luckily a late charge gave him and jockey Sheldon Russell the victory in the final race of the 2014 Preakness weekend.
Orlando Bocachica rode Nevsky to a second place finish and Julian Pimentel saddled Negrito for third.
The victory was Russell’s second of the day.
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Near misses highlight the difficulty of a horse racing Triple Crown
Stewart Elliott chuckled when he was asked the question.
Why is winning the Triple Crown so difficult?
Elliott, Smarty Jones' jockey in 2004, rattled off a laundry list of reasons why no horse has captured the sport's most prestigious honor since 1978. You need an adaptable horse — one who can adjust to the longer distance at the Belmont Stakes. A horse that can handle running three races in five weeks. One that can handle the hubbub and not get flustered.
And a little bit of luck.
Saturday, California Chrome will try to overcome all those obstacles and cement his legacy by winning the Triple Crown. The 3-year-old has been unflappable and unstoppable in the first two legs, but those who have been around horses in his spot know completing the trifecta is anything but a guarantee.
"It takes a certain kind of horse to do it," Elliott said. "It's not an easy thing. It shows with how long it's been."
Since Affirmed swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont in 1978, many horses have come close, but none have succeeded.
In the 36-year drought, 11 horses won the Derby and Preakness but fell short at the Belmont. That doesn't include I'll Have Another, who won the first two legs in 2012 but was scratched for the Belmont because of an injury.
Sunday Silence (1989), Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and Smarty Jones (2004) each finished second at the Belmont after winning the first two legs.
"It's like the Triple Crown in baseball," said Steve Cauthen, who was the 18-year-old jockey aboard Affirmed in 1978. "That's another thing that's not that easy to do. It takes a terrific, talented horse. You have to be better than everybody you're competing against. You have to overcome the things that naturally happen in any circumstances to pull it off."
For Smarty Jones' trainer John Servis, the Belmont was an especially daunting race because of the expectations placed on his horse.
"Once you win the first two legs, you go into the Belmont with a bull's-eye on your back," Servis said. "I felt a lot of pressure going into the Belmont that I didn't feel going into the Derby and the Preakness."
Servis said he felt like the city of Philadelphia was counting Pennsylvania-born Smarty Jones to win. He heard the hype on talk radio. He sensed the excitement around the city and the country. He knew he had a chance to win, but that doing so wouldn't be easy.
Smarty Jones had to win prep races just to get to the Kentucky Derby. Once he won the 1 1/4-mile Derby, it was off to the 1 3/16-mile Preakness two weeks later. While other well-rested horses came into the 1 ½-mile Belmont fresh, Smarty Jones was physically worn down. His aggressive style of racing and demanding schedule started to take its toll.
Everything went picture perfect, as Servis put it, from the end of February until two weeks before the Belmont. Then the exhaustion set in and Smarty Jones wasn't fully healthy going into the biggest race of his life.
"You have to change your training going into the Belmont anyway, just for the distance," Servis said. "To make sure he gets the mile and a half."
When the race started, Elliott knew Smarty Jones' chances were bleak. Back when he first mounted the horse, all he wanted to do was get him to relax. The talent and pure speed was there, but the patience wasn't.
Up until the Belmont, his aggression was never too much of a problem. Yet with history a mile-and-a-half away, Smarty Jones reverted to his old habits. He jumped out to an early lead, but couldn't maintain the pace.
"I knew when he was coming out of the gate and got into the first turn that we weren't going to win," Elliott said. "It's not going to work."
And it didn't. Just like so many horses before him and some after him, Smarty Jones couldn't complete the mission.
"It was very disappointing," Elliott said. "It was heartbreaking not to win it. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you didn't get it."
One year earlier, trainer Barclay Tagg found his horse Funny Cide in a similar spot. Rain poured down and the Belmont track was three feet deep in mud. The colt was physically drained. He wasn't accustomed to the longer race.
Tagg said the press was "murderous" on New York-bred Funny Cide in the three weeks leading up to the Belmont. Much like Smarty Jones, Funny Cide started out too quickly before losing his lead and finishing in third.
"I'm not making excuses for him, but he did have a couple excuses," Tagg said. "It hasn't been done in 36 years, so there's a reason for that. It's very, very tough."
Despite their horses' inability to win the Triple Crown, Servis, Elliott and Tagg all feel that California Chrome has a very good shot to do so.
Servis pinpointed the horse's perfect running style. Elliott watched California Chrome trot to the winners circle after the Preakness seemingly unfazed. Tagg said he thinks Chrome has the ability to adjust to different conditions and has everything going for him.
Heading into Saturday, California Chrome is the heavy, 3-5 favorite. But as history has shown, winning the Triple Crown is anything but easy.
"I think it's so difficult because horses these days are fragile," Elliott said. "They don't hold up. They get injured. For the Triple Crown the races are close together, so they don't get a break.
"It takes a certain kind of horse."
thass@baltsun.com
twitter.com/TrevorHass
Why is winning the Triple Crown so difficult?
Elliott, Smarty Jones' jockey in 2004, rattled off a laundry list of reasons why no horse has captured the sport's most prestigious honor since 1978. You need an adaptable horse — one who can adjust to the longer distance at the Belmont Stakes. A horse that can handle running three races in five weeks. One that can handle the hubbub and not get flustered.
And a little bit of luck.
Saturday, California Chrome will try to overcome all those obstacles and cement his legacy by winning the Triple Crown. The 3-year-old has been unflappable and unstoppable in the first two legs, but those who have been around horses in his spot know completing the trifecta is anything but a guarantee.
"It takes a certain kind of horse to do it," Elliott said. "It's not an easy thing. It shows with how long it's been."
Since Affirmed swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont in 1978, many horses have come close, but none have succeeded.
In the 36-year drought, 11 horses won the Derby and Preakness but fell short at the Belmont. That doesn't include I'll Have Another, who won the first two legs in 2012 but was scratched for the Belmont because of an injury.
Sunday Silence (1989), Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and Smarty Jones (2004) each finished second at the Belmont after winning the first two legs.
"It's like the Triple Crown in baseball," said Steve Cauthen, who was the 18-year-old jockey aboard Affirmed in 1978. "That's another thing that's not that easy to do. It takes a terrific, talented horse. You have to be better than everybody you're competing against. You have to overcome the things that naturally happen in any circumstances to pull it off."
For Smarty Jones' trainer John Servis, the Belmont was an especially daunting race because of the expectations placed on his horse.
"Once you win the first two legs, you go into the Belmont with a bull's-eye on your back," Servis said. "I felt a lot of pressure going into the Belmont that I didn't feel going into the Derby and the Preakness."
Servis said he felt like the city of Philadelphia was counting Pennsylvania-born Smarty Jones to win. He heard the hype on talk radio. He sensed the excitement around the city and the country. He knew he had a chance to win, but that doing so wouldn't be easy.
Smarty Jones had to win prep races just to get to the Kentucky Derby. Once he won the 1 1/4-mile Derby, it was off to the 1 3/16-mile Preakness two weeks later. While other well-rested horses came into the 1 ½-mile Belmont fresh, Smarty Jones was physically worn down. His aggressive style of racing and demanding schedule started to take its toll.
Everything went picture perfect, as Servis put it, from the end of February until two weeks before the Belmont. Then the exhaustion set in and Smarty Jones wasn't fully healthy going into the biggest race of his life.
"You have to change your training going into the Belmont anyway, just for the distance," Servis said. "To make sure he gets the mile and a half."
When the race started, Elliott knew Smarty Jones' chances were bleak. Back when he first mounted the horse, all he wanted to do was get him to relax. The talent and pure speed was there, but the patience wasn't.
Up until the Belmont, his aggression was never too much of a problem. Yet with history a mile-and-a-half away, Smarty Jones reverted to his old habits. He jumped out to an early lead, but couldn't maintain the pace.
"I knew when he was coming out of the gate and got into the first turn that we weren't going to win," Elliott said. "It's not going to work."
And it didn't. Just like so many horses before him and some after him, Smarty Jones couldn't complete the mission.
"It was very disappointing," Elliott said. "It was heartbreaking not to win it. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you didn't get it."
One year earlier, trainer Barclay Tagg found his horse Funny Cide in a similar spot. Rain poured down and the Belmont track was three feet deep in mud. The colt was physically drained. He wasn't accustomed to the longer race.
Tagg said the press was "murderous" on New York-bred Funny Cide in the three weeks leading up to the Belmont. Much like Smarty Jones, Funny Cide started out too quickly before losing his lead and finishing in third.
"I'm not making excuses for him, but he did have a couple excuses," Tagg said. "It hasn't been done in 36 years, so there's a reason for that. It's very, very tough."
Despite their horses' inability to win the Triple Crown, Servis, Elliott and Tagg all feel that California Chrome has a very good shot to do so.
Servis pinpointed the horse's perfect running style. Elliott watched California Chrome trot to the winners circle after the Preakness seemingly unfazed. Tagg said he thinks Chrome has the ability to adjust to different conditions and has everything going for him.
Heading into Saturday, California Chrome is the heavy, 3-5 favorite. But as history has shown, winning the Triple Crown is anything but easy.
"I think it's so difficult because horses these days are fragile," Elliott said. "They don't hold up. They get injured. For the Triple Crown the races are close together, so they don't get a break.
"It takes a certain kind of horse."
thass@baltsun.com
twitter.com/TrevorHass
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