Preakness Stakes 2020 Horse Profile: Excession

Preakness Profile: Excession

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

NADAL - The Arkansas Derby G1 - 84th Running - 05-02-20 - R13 - OP - Tight Finish 01

NADAL – The Arkansas Derby G1 – USRacing

Although he’s only 1-for-9, the last time we saw Excession he ran big against a star. The 82-1 shot showed quality and grit in the Rebel Stakes when he came from last to be second by only three-quarters of a length to Nadal, then considered Bob Baffert’s best 3-year-old. That race on a sloppy track at Oaklawn Park was nearly six months ago, and nobody wins classics off layoffs of that length.

Other than the Rebel, in which Nadal was compromised by setting a hot, contested pace, Excession has shown little. He took five starts to break his maiden, and when you consider his impressive distance pedigree, he’s an underachiever. He was seventh and eighth in his other stakes, both at the Fair Grounds, and seems like a vanity entry by Calumet. Likely to do better down the road, but can’t see him doing any damage at Pimlico.

RELATED: Preakness Stakes 2020 Horse Profile: Ny Traffic

Excession

Odds: 30-1

Post position: No. 1

Jockey: Sheldon Russell

Trainer: Steve Asmussen

Owner: Calumet Farm

Career record: 9-1-1-3

Career earnings: $288,612

Top Equibase speed figure: 100

Pedigree: Union Rags-Draw It, by Tapit

Color: Bay

Running style: Closer

Notes: Besides Excession, Asmussen also entered Pneumatic and Max Player. None of his trio will be joining his Preakness winners, Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, at the Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs … Venerable Calumet Farm has almost as many stakes trophies as the Louvre has paintings. Calumet took home the Preakness’ Woodlawn Vase eight times, most recently with Oxbow in 2013.

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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