Preakness Stakes

Lawyer Ron, 12th in the Kentucky Derby after being one of the early favorites, is doubtful for the Preakness Stakes because of inflammation in his right hind ankle. Trainer Bob Holthus told Preakness officials after looking at X-rays, "We probably aren't going to come." The May 20 race is the second leg of the Triple Crown.

After his winning ride aboard 10-1 longshot Momentus in Wednesday's $50,000-added Rancho Santa Fe Stakes, jockey Alex Solis received an encouraging word from the horse's trainer, Wallace Dollase. "Hey, just remember what horse won this race last year," Dollase said. Solis remembers. The winner of last year's Rancho Santa Fe, Snow Chief, became the all-time money winner for California Breds, and Solis was his regular rider. He rode Snow Chief to a victory in this year's Preakness Stakes.

Bill Harmatz Jockey rode to victory in 1959 Preakness Bill Harmatz, 79, a thoroughbred jockey who rode Royal Orbit to victory in the 1959 Preakness Stakes, died Thursday at his home in the San Diego County city of Vista, his daughter Sue Harmatz said. He had cancer. FOR THE RECORD: An earlier version of this article said the 1959 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes were both won by Bill Shoemaker and Sword Dancer. Shoemaker won the Kentucky Derby with Tomy Lee, and the Belmont with Sword Dancer.

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, out of racing since his retirement in November 2005, will begin what he hopes to be a comeback Sunday in the sixth race at Santa Anita. Stevens, 49, will ride Jebrica in a $50,000 claiming race. "My passion is still there," Stevens said Thursday. "I should say, my passion has come back. " Knee problems forced Stevens into retirement, but he said that after a recent workout program his knees are "125% better than they were the last 10 years of my riding.

Tank's Prospect, the winner of the Preakness Stakes who broke down in the stretch of Saturday's Belmont, will be retired to stud after suffering a pulled right front suspensory ligament. X-rays of Tank's Prospect's injured leg Sunday showed that there was no sesamoid (ankle) damage, which sometimes results in a horse being destroyed. The suspensory is located just above a horse's ankle.

On Saturday, I'll Have Another will try to win the Belmont Stakes to become horse racing's 12th Triple Crown winner and end a 34-year drought, the longest since Sir Barton won the three races of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, in 1919. As Liam Durbin wrote earlier this week in his handicap of the race , other than the fact that there are 12 horses in it, the field sets up well for I'll Have Another. His two biggest challengers will be Dullahan and Union Rags, with many experts picking Union Rags to win the race.

The 123rd Preakness Stakes lost two of its top contenders Tuesday when Halory Hunter suffered a probable career-ending injury during a workout at Pimlico and trainer Bob Baffert withdrew Indian Charlie, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby. Halory Hunter, fourth in the Derby, broke his left foreleg and underwent surgery late Tuesday at the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

The 125th Kentucky Derby had just been run, and ceremonies in the infield winner's circle were about to begin. At Churchill Downs, tens of thousands of fans cast their eyes toward Charismatic, the horse of the day, and his handlers--owners Bob and Beverly Lewis, trainer Wayne Lukas and jockey Chris Antley. On television, millions watched.

The venue may be Pimlico, but the saddling area will look more like Hollywood Park or Santa Anita today when the Preakness Stakes is run for the 116th time. This is the Palm Tree Preakness. The middle race in the Triple Crown series has been won by California-connected horses in four of the last six years--Tank's Prospect, Snow Chief, Alysheba and Sunday Silence--and numerically, at least, that trend might be expected to continue today.

Eleven horses, one more than expected, were entered Wednesday for Saturday's Preakness at Pimlico, but The Cliff's Edge, adding to trainer Nick Zito's spring of discontent, may not start because of a foot problem. Zito, who won the 1996 Preakness with Louis Quatorze, listed The Cliff's Edge, the fifth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, as tentative and said that a decision would be made today.