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Preakness Stakes 2020 Horse Profile: Thousand Words

Preakness Profile: Thousand Words

In the days leading up to Saturday’s 145th Preakness, usracing.com will be publishing profiles of the 11 horses entered in 2020’s final leg of the Triple Crown.

By Ed McNamara

Thousand Words – Courtesy of Churchill Downs/Coady Photography.

His misbehavior in the Kentucky Derby paddock began the most bizarre 30 minutes of Bob Baffert’s career. When Thousand Words flipped while being saddled, assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes suffered a fractured wrist. He was watching on his cellphone in an ambulance as Authentic gave Baffert his record-tying sixth Derby victory.

Winning Triple Crown events is old hat for Baffert, but the jittery colt’s forced withdrawal was a first.

I’ve run thousands and thousands of quarter horses and thoroughbreds and never had one scratch in the paddock,” he said.

Fortunately, Thousand Words was unhurt and has been training well since, but how good is he? He jumped back onto the Derby trail with his front-running upset of Honor A.P. in the 1 1/16-mile Shared Belief, but he’s 0-for-2 at 1 1/8 miles. I won’t be betting on him, but always beware of “the other Baffert” in any race.

RELATED: Preakness Stakes Horse: Max Player

Thousand Words

Odds: 6-1

Post position: No. 5

Jockey: Florent Geroux

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Owner: Albaugh Family Stables LLC, Spendthrift Farm LLC

Career record: 7-4-1-0

Career earnings: $327,000

Top Equibase speed figure: 107

Pedigree: Pioneerof the Nile-Pomeroys By Pistol-Pomeroy

Color: Bay

Running style: Front-runner/stalker

Notes: Although Thousand Words is winless beyond 1 1/16 miles, Baffert thinks the Preakness’ 1 3/16 miles won’t be too far. “He’s just a steady kind of horse,” he said. “Distance is his friend.” Doubting the opinion of someone who’s won a record-tying seven Preaknesses isn’t wise, and remember there were stamina questions about Authentic before he wired the Derby.

Preakness Stakes Odds

2020 Preakness Stakes Odds and Post Positions
PP Horse Jockey Odds
1 Excession Sheldon Russell 30-1
2 Mr. Big News Gabriel Saez 12-1
3 Art Collector Brian Hernandez Jr. 5-2
4 Swiss Skydiver Robby Albarado 6-1
5 Thousand Words Florent Geroux 6-1
6 Jesus’ Team Jevian Toledo 30-1
7 NY Traffic Horacio Karamanos 15-1
8 Max Player Paco Lopez 15-1
9 Authentic John Velazquez 9-5
10 Pneumatic Joe Bravo 20-1
11 Liveyourbeastlife Trevor Mccarthy 30-1
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