Hall of Famers Bob Baffert and D. Wayne Lukas watch horses get troubled trips in the Preakness
AP Sports Writer (AP) — Hall of Fame trainers Bob Baffert and D. Wayne Lukas saw their horses endure some troubled trips Saturday in the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes.
Baffert's Goal Oriented finished fourth after bumping with winner Journalism down the stretch. A stewards inquiry was briefly posted to take a look at the contact, and then it was removed with no changes.
American Promise was eighth in a field of nine after going through similar struggles two weeks earlier in the Kentucky Derby led to finishing 16th.
Baffert and Lukas, who have combined to win the second leg of the Triple Crown, each lamented not getting what they hoped for from their colts in the Preakness.
'He didn't get to run his race,' Baffert said. 'I wanted to see him on the lead, Maybe he would have stopped, I don't know. He is lightly raced. He ran well, but he is still green. He was not used to being behind horses and he got intimidated.'
American Promise's jockey, Maryland native Nik Juarez, said the horse 'just didn't have it.'
'When he got bumped and roughed up a little bit, he kind of threw his head and quit on us,' Lukas said. "I didn't like the way he responded. ... I just think that attitude-wise, we've got to change it a little bit.' Gosger surprises
Irish trainer Brendan Walsh's Gosger went off at odds of 15-1, third-longest in the Preakness. He also was poised to pulled a big upset if not for Journalism's remarkable run from the middle of the pack to the finish line.
'I thought we were home when he opened up,' Walsh said. 'I'm disappointed not to win it, but I'm not disappointed in the horse. He ran a great race. He is an improving horse and he will improve off this.'
Jockey Luis Saez said they 'had no excuses' and hopes Gosger will learn from the experience.
'Luis said at the end he just got a little bit lackadaisical, and he was out on his own maybe a little too long and the other horse came by and flew by him,' Walsh said. 'Maybe we will get our turn the next time.' Malcolm celebrates the 'Middle'
NBC Sports' leadup to the race included an introduction from actor Frankie Muniz, known for his childhood role on the show 'Malcolm in the Middle.' Muniz espoused the virtues of the Preakness as the middle jewel of horse racing's Triple Crown, which for the fifth time in seven years went off without a shot at a Triple Crown for various reasons.
'People don't talk about the middle enough,' Muniz said, bringing up middle seats on planes, the middle ages and how nobody wants to peak in middle school. 'When you're in the middle, you've got to fight for attention."
The attention was on Pimlico Race Course, hosting the Preakness for a final time before the structure that opened in 1870 is demolished and rebuilt.
'Beginnings and endings get all the credit, but life happens in the middle on a journey from here to there," Muniz said. 'That's where you prove what you're really made of. On a day like today, at this ancient racetrack all dressed up one more time, there's absolutely no place better to be than the middle.'
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PARIS (AP) — Tadej Pogačar won his fourth Tour de France title by a comfortable margin after Sunday's final stage, which he tried to win even though he did not need to. The 26-year-old Slovenian rider won the Tour last year and in 2020 and 2021. 'Just speechless to win the Tour de France, this one feels especially amazing,' he said. 'Just super proud that I can wear this yellow jersey.' Two-time Tour champion Jonas Vinegaard finished the overall race 4 minutes, 24 seconds behind Pogačar in second place and Florian Lipowitz was 11 minutes adrift in third. Belgian rider Wout van Aert won the 21st and last stage, which broke with tradition and featured three climbs of Montmartre hill . Because of the risk of heavy rain and crashes, organizers had earlier decided to neutralize the times 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the end, effectively giving Pogačar the victory — but providing he crossed the finish line. Pogačar had no need to contest the stage win, especially given the danger of crashing on slick roads. Yet as the rain fell heavily, he showed his relentless thirst for victory and attacked anyway, setting a tremendous pace in the Montmartre climbs as fans cheered all along the cobbled Rue Lepic, with flags and fans hanging out of windows. Only five riders were left with Pogačar on the third ascension of the 1.1-kilometer Montmartre hill. After fending off American Matteo Jorgenson, he was caught cold near the top as Van Aert launched a stunning attack to drop — yes, drop! — Pogačar, the world's best climber, on the steepest section. 'Hats off to Wout, he was incredibly strong,' Pogačar said. Van Aert rolled back down for a prestigious stage win on the famed Champs-Élysées. Pogačar looked weary as he crossed the line in fourth place, 19 seconds behind. But then it was time to celebrate title No. 4. Although don't expect Pogačar to make any headlines on that front. 'Everyone celebrates in their own way, I just want peace and some nice weather, not like here today,' Pogačar said. 'Just to enjoy some quiet days at home.' Only four riders have won the showcase race five times: Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Induráin and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault. Pogačar won four stages this year to take his Tour tally to 21 and 30 at major races, including six at the Giro d'Italia and three at the Spanish Vuelta. The UAE Team Emirates leader praised his teammates. 'I think the second week was the decisive moment,' Pogačar said. 'We took more advantage and went more comfortably into the third week.' Lipowitz, meanwhile, secured his first career podium at a Grand Tour, the alternative name given to the three major races. His performance, following his third-placed finish last month at the Critérium du Dauphiné , suggests the 24-year-old German rider could challenge in the near future. Breaking with tradition Traditionally, the last stage is largely processional with riders doing laps around Paris. The Tour broke with tradition after the success of the Paris Olympics road race, which also took in Montmartre, famous for its Sacré Coeur basilica. Five in a row It was the fifth straight year where Pogačar and Vingegaard finished 1-2 at the Tour. Vingegaard was second in 2021, before beating Pogačar the next two years with the Slovenian second. When Pogačar reclaimed his title last year, Vingegaard was runner-up. 'We've raised the level of each other much higher and we push each other to the limit,' Pogačar said. 'I must say to him, big, big respect.' Five major titles Pogačar has also won the Giro d'Italia, doing so last year to become the first cyclist to secure the Giro and Tour double in the same season since the late Marco Pantani in 1998. But Pogačar has not yet won the Spanish Vuelta, whereas Anquetil, Hinault and Merckx won all three major races. A century of success When Pogačar won the hilly fourth stage of this year's race, it was the 100th professional victory of his stellar career, all events combined. Pogačar is also the world road race champion . He warmed up for this year's Tour with a dominant victory at the Critérium continuing his excellent form the spring classics , where he won Liège–Bastogne–Liège for third time. After winning stage 4 of the Tour, Pogačar added three more stage wins, including an emphatic uphill time trial . What's left to win? He would love to win the Paris-Roubaix classic and Milan San-Remo. The 259.2-kilometer (161-mile) Roubaix race is called 'The Hell of the North' because of its dangerous cobblestone sections. Pogačar debut appearance at the one-day classic this year saw him seeking to become the first Tour champion to win it since Hinault in 1981. But powerful Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel won it for the third straight year. Pogačar has also yet to win Milan-San Remo , with Van der Poel also beating him there this year . Expect a fired-up Pogačar next year at Roubaix and Milan-San Remo. But it's unsure whether he'll tackle the Vuelta. ___ Tour de France coverage: and
