Didn't know anything about Rich Strike until the Bris pp's came out and notice on the speed figs he had a 107 final speed. That ranked him up there with Mo D, Taiba, Tiz and the like. Thought i'd take him on a whim just had the other 3 wrong!

Cubs has 2 going in the Preakness. If he gets both ITM (win & place for 14 pts) its over. Cubs would have to hit the place and show for 6 and you'd have to have Mo Donegal win the Belmont if he runs to keep the championship.

That's the way i'm looking at this.

I'll be shining up the trophy to ship to Cubs. 

Be real interesting to see on Preak day how many runners does Chad have going at a Belmont Park with Prat up.

Prat, like Joel Rosario who left West coast to NYRA should get a lot of good mounts.

Preakness is already poor man's race. 

The Preek peeps would have been happy if all the Derby horses were in the entry: Great race billig ..1st 2nd 3rd 4th KDy..Wayne's Philly Acorn winner..

Instead they'll have to bill it Dogs 2 Preakness no shows ruins middle jewel

And next we have Charge it winning the Belmont!!! Never count out North :)

Sorry cubs message was meant for all

North takes the lead with Early Voting's Preakness win, sitting in the driver's seat with Charge It likely in the Belmont and most other draft picks doubtful for the Belmont.

Standings after the Derby and Preakness:

North - 10

Cubs - 9

Dogs - 2

Chiefs - 1

princeofdoc - 0

Oldbettowin - 0

Pianot - 0

As Yogi Berra said, but now in the socially acceptable verbiage, "It ain't over til the full figured lady sings."

DogsUp still holds a ticket with known Belmont Stakes highly probable entry Mo Donegal. And king/leading of the NY circuit jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr. Wins and any others run out in contest. Don't count the Dogs out. Just need a total of 12 Milk Bones.

PROBABLE likely 

1. Trainer Steve Assmusen  skips Belmont with Epicenter to freshen for Haskell...a win and in for Breeders Cup. And goes after mid Summer Derby.The Travers at the Spa. Why dilute a tired, over raced colt. About Switching riders, Rosario (news articles quote Steve Azz saying they made the bad trip)  and running "trip"  poorly. A great baseball pitcher or bball player has bad games. Don't trade horses in mid stream. IF Epicenter in Belmont, connections have to go in saying the first 2 jewels have an alibi and excuse.

But they know what our "Queen of the Mile" says..Winning great horses find a way to get there first."

EV...my first name and middle name initials....Early Voting

Let's go to Smarty (Good call). Smarty actually wrote in words that EV was breed for the long haul distance. And was likely to rise in TC regardless of his too few starts. Too few starts now is not enough for Derby, enough for Preak, not rested enough and experience in Belmont. Maybe?

For real: if it were not for the sincere relationships of Derby winner's people;  in past; Belmont winners had switched jocks to NYRA jocks who can measure 2 turns 12 furlongs. I don't think this colt hits the Belmont board. 

Prat likely to ride an entry no one has in contest. Good for business development having moved tack to NYRA. Prat IMO is the overall best jock. Knows how to think a race. Perfect adjusting seat and hands.

Hoofnote: Soon NYRA colony will learn how to hit  Prat's curve ball. Will he and his family want the Greater NY life. After California?!

Simplification; Running style of turning on the jet burners when asked..skip Belmont;  go Haskell and Trav.

Everybody has a winning ticket; until they open the gate (d)

Except that wasn’t a yogi-ism, it came from some NBA coach or writer in a playoff series.