Preakness 5.5: What would you do?

[Scav]

If you qualify, would you skip the Derby and just run in the Preakness for 5.5 milly?

To earn the bonus, a horse must first win the Holy Bull or Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream; the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields; or the Grade 2 Robert Lewis or Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita. Those qualifiers must then win either the Grade 1 Florida Derby or Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby as a prelude to a victory in the Preakness.

[robfla]

there should be an option of "run in the Derby and skip the Preakness"

[randallscott35]

You run in the Derby.

[Scav]

It obviously depends on the connections, but I don't see how you don't at least consider skipping the Derby because of the cash involved.

[richard]

I would point toward the Preakness .

[Travis Stone]

It depends on what kind of horse I have... speedball who is unlikely to get 10f's I'd try and take advantage of Pimplico, the slightly shorter distance etc.

That said, I find it hard to believe, with the way the Derby has grown even just in the last decade, that most people would be able to skip it with a horse who was winning preps like those.

[MaTH716]

What am I missing? Why couldn't you run and possibly win both the Derby and the Preakness?

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Scav

It obviously depends on the connections, but I don't see how you don't at least consider skipping the Derby because of the cash involved.

Yeah if you have a gelding MAYBE. No colt will ever miss the Derby.

[slotdirt]

What the what? Who is offering the bonus?

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

What am I missing? Why couldn't you run and possibly win both the Derby and the Preakness?

Because you need that 6 weeks or more to get that peak performance.

[OldDog]

If my horse is that good, I'm running him in the Derby unless he tells me otherwise.

[Cannon Shell]

Joe the Dude is pointing to the Belmont.

Is there a maiden 12500 at Parx, starter allowance at Penn, 25000 nw3 at Presque Isle, Belmont bonus available?

[Thunder Gulch]

I'd find some soft G1 filly races out west and win 4 races so I could have the HOY.

[smartbid09]

Wow. Tough choice. Skip the Derby for a CHANCE at 5.5 million! I don't think that I would skip the Derby if I qualified for the Kentucky Derby. As a horseplayer I think the biggest dream is to win the Derby and I would have to take a shot at winning it if I could. One of the rare times in this game that money would matters less to me.

[Echo Farm]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

What the what? Who is offering the bonus?

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The 2011 Preakness is still more than four months away, but the MI Developments Preakness 5.5 kicks off here next Sunday with the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes. The Preakness 5.5 is a $5.5 million bonus that will be awarded to the owner and trainer of any 3-year-old who wins a series of races at MID tracks culminating with the Preakness at Pimlico on May 21.

more:
http://www.drf.com/news/pursuit-prea...arts-holy-bull

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Joe the Dude is pointing to the Belmont.

Is there a maiden 12500 at Parx, starter allowance at Penn, 25000 nw3 at Presque Isle, Belmont bonus available?

didnt Spend A Buck skip the preakness to run at MP for a Bonus?

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by freddymo

didnt Spend A Buck skip the preakness to run at MP for a Bonus?

Wasn't it the Jersey Derby at Garden State?

[freddymo]

I think you are right it was a Brennan special event..lol

[Clip-Clop]

Recently it seems that running in both has been the recipe for getting a good if not great effort in the Preakness. Other than last year (slop) the two weeks is perfect for most of them.

[dylbert]

Three word history lesson, Spend A Buck.