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Preakness 2012 Results: Zagora, Varsity Among Early Undercard Winners At Pimlico

by Bill Hanstock

May 19, 2012, 5:26 PM UTC

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Preakness 2012: I’ll Have Another Wins, Keeps Triple Crown Hopes Alive

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Bill Hanstock is a writer, author and Emmy Award-winning producer. He began writing for SB Nation in 2011.

Edit: I'll Have Another wins The Preakness.

Before the main event is run at the 2012 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday, there is a full day of racing action. There are already a handful of races in the books before the second leg of the Triple Crown gets underway and I’ll Have Another attempts to make a mad dash for the most elusive title in sports.

The first race for the day was five furlongs on the turf, with a purse of $45,000. Varsity took home the winner’s purse, Agnostic placed and Night Officer was able to show.

The second race had a purse of $25,000 and was one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. Baileys Beach took the top spot.

Race three was the biggest race so far for the day, with a purse of $150,000 in the Gallorette Handicap. Zagora (from France) edged out Speak Easy Gal in the one and one-sixteenth miles on the turf in a race restricted to fillies and mares. According to the official Pimlico website, Zagora’s jockey, Javier Castellano, had this to say about the win:

“It worked out really good today. It was a great performance. The pace was pretty fast today. She didn’t break that good. I was a little concerned about that, but the bottom line is that it worked out great. They spread out and I saved all the ground, and she finished great.”

In another 1 1/16 on the dirt in race four, Paynter held off Brimstone Island and Respectful Ed to take the $50,000 purse in a showing of three-year-olds.

For more on the Preakness, stay tuned to this StoryStream or check out SB Nation’s horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come.