5:03 pm | May 18, 2019 | Go to Source | Author:
Two weeks after a wild finish at the Kentucky Derby, the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes got off to an unusual start.
Bodexpress bucked Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez just moments after racing out of the starting gate, dodged an outrider who tried to corral the riderless colt and ended up doing two laps around the Pimlico track.
“He wasn’t behaving well,” said Velazquez, who added that he is fine and will not seek medical attention. “When the doors opened, I was off right from the start, and he kind of jumped sideways, and I had my feet out sideways, and I lost my balance and went out.”
Velazquez has won two Kentucky Derbys and two Belmont Stakes but is now 0-for-9 in the Preakness.
War of Will, the horse most affected by Maximum Security’s interference at the Kentucky Derby, finished first in the Preakness. Everfast came in second, and Owendale was third.
Technically, Bodexpress was ruled a starter in the race, but he received a did-not-finish, and thus, anyone who bet on the horse did not have his/her wagers returned.
Mark Casse, War of Will’s owner, said he knew right away that there was a riderless horse in the race.
“Johnny is a dear friend of [my wife and I],” Casse said. “A lot of these guys are our friends. So we were worried. I used to always tell my riders, good luck, good luck. Until a few years ago, we had a horse go down and get hurt, and from that point on, I always just say, be safe.”
War of Will jockey Tyler Gaffalione said he didn’t know a rider had fallen off until “they started yelling, ‘Loose horse!'”
The Associated Press and ESPN’s Heather Dinich contributed to this report.
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