Julio Cortez/Associated Press
The reasoning for Early Voting not racing in this year’s Kentucky Derby was so that the Chad Brown-trained colt would be more prepared for the Preakness Stakes. And after watching Saturday’s race at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, it’s clear that decision paid off.
Early Voting had a strong showing in the Preakness, running near the front for much of the race before taking the lead in the final turn. Then, he held off a strong charge from morning-line favorite Epicenter and secured the win.
Epicenter ended up in second for the second consecutive race, as he was previously the runner-up to 80-1 longshot Rich Strike in the Kentucky Derby. Rich Strike didn’t run the Preakness—ensuring there wouldn’t be a Triple Crown winner this year—as he’s currently preparing to compete in the Belmont Stakes in June.
Here’s a complete look back at the 2022 edition of the Preakness Stakes.
2022 Preakness Results, Prize Payout, Winning Time
1. Early Voting: $900,000; 1 minute, 54.54 seconds
2. Epicenter: $300,000
3. Creative Minister: $165,000
4. Secret Oath: $90,000
5. Skippylongstocking: $45,000
6. Simplification
7. Armagnac
8. Happy Jack
9. Fenwick
Video Replay
Recap
Prior to Saturday, Early Voting didn’t have much racing experience. He had competed in only three events to that point, and while he had finished first or second in each of them, it still wasn’t a long track record. And that played into the decision to hold the colt out of the Kentucky Derby.
With 21 horses in the Derby, Brown and owner Seth Klarman didn’t feel Early Voting was ready to go. Instead, they set their sights on the Preakness, which had a much smaller field of nine horses.
“They deserve all the credit,” jockey Jose Ortiz said of Brown and Klarman, per Kelyn Soong of USA Today. “They had an option to run in the Derby and they passed. It’s very hard to get a winner to pass on the Derby and they made the right choice by the horse.
It marks the second time that Brown has won the Preakness, as he was previously victorious with Cloud Computing in 2017. Ortiz had never won the race before Saturday.
Armagnac was in the lead for much of Saturday’s race, but he couldn’t fend off the strong field behind him. Early Voting, who had been in second most of the way to that point, surged ahead and moved into first place in the final turn.
At that point, Early Voting needed to hold off some other strong competitors, none better than Epicenter. After finishing second at the Kentucky Derby, Epicenter waited until the end of the Preakness to try to make a move into the lead.
Epicenter made a strong push, but Early Voting held on, crossing the finish line first by 1 1/4 lengths. And with that, everything had worked out regarding Early Voting’s schedule.
“It’s beautiful when a plan comes together,” Brown said, per Childs Walker of the Baltimore Sun.
This may end up being Early Voting’s only appearance at a Triple Crown event, too. Klarman and Brown indicated after Saturday’s race that the colt may not be ready in time to also race in the Belmont Stakes on June 11.
Rich Strike will be racing in the Belmont, and Epicenter may be in the field as well. They’ll be the likely favorites, although Early Voting would also be in the mix if he does end up getting entered in the race.
If not, then Early Voting will have gone 1-for-1 in his career in Triple Crown races. And not only that, but he won the Preakness in impressive fashion, showing that he’s a strong horse by outracing some tough competition.
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