Barbaro Preakness Favorite

Barbaro copes with favorite role at Preakness By DAVID GINSBURG

BALTIMORE (AP) -- When he broke from the gate at Churchill Downs nearly two weeks ago, Barbaro was merely one of 20 horses seeking to win the Kentucky Derby.

Now he's the horse to beat in Saturday's Preakness, the even-money morning line favorite. His elevated stature has changed the lives of owner Roy Jackson and trainer Michael Matz, but Barbaro remains unaffected by the attention he's received.

After all, how can a horse know he's got a figurative target on his back?

"I don't think anything's different," Matz said Wednesday after picking post position No. 6 for his dark bay colt. "He's won all his races at this point. I don't think there's going to be anything different for him. Not that he knows, anyway.

"I think he's going to run his race. If he's good enough, he'll find his way to the winner's circle. If not ..."

Matz didn't finish the sentence. He doesn't expect to lose, although Jackson isn't taking anything for granted.

"You never know. I've seen some real funny things happen," he said. "We hope he just runs a good race, and what happens, happens. I'm sure Michael would say he'd like a little longer between races, but he set the program up so he would have a fresh horse."

Matz has prepared Barbaro well for a run for the Triple Crown. Barbaro had an eight-week break between the Holy Bull and the Florida Derby, then a five-week break before the Kentucky Derby. As a result, Barbaro was quick to recover from his magnificent run at Churchill Downs.

"He's been very good this week," Matz said.

Brother Derek, who endured a troublesome run from the 18th post in the Derby, is the second-favorite at 3-1. Asked what it would take to beat Barbaro, trainer Dan Hendricks paused for a moment and stated the obvious.

"Someone's got to outrun him," he said. "If we're good enough, we can do it. If we're not, hat's off to him."

When he gets into the starting gate, Barbaro will be surrounded by Brother Derek and Sweetnorthernsaint, who has been installed as the third choice at 4-1.

"I don't think that's a problem," Matz said. "They both have to make decisions what they want to do. They have speed to the outside and speed to the inside. Once they put the saddles on, it's up to the jockey."

Also entered are Withers winner Bernardini at 8-1, Gotham winner Like Now (12-1), Greeley's Legacy (20-1) and Platinum Couple (50-1). Diabolical and Hemingway's Key are both 30-1.

It's been a delightful two weeks for Matz, although things didn't quite go according to plan Wednesday. Picking third in the post-position draw, he selected No. 4 -- which had already been taken by Greeley's Legacy.

Matz eventually changed his choice to No. 6, about a second or two before his 60-second time limit was to expire. If he hadn't spoken in time, he would have been forced to pick last.

That would have spelled doom in Kentucky, but in a nine-horse race, post position isn't that much of a factor.

"Maybe not so much versus a 20-horse field, but sure, post position always plays a part in it," said Mike Trombetta, trainer for Sweetnorthernsaint. "Nine horses, everybody can surely make do with what they got."

Trainer Nick Zito picked fourth and chose the No. 3 post.

"The No. 3s our lucky number. Babe Ruth had No. 3 also," Zito said.

Unfortunately, he's entered a horse that has finished 11th, 8th, 6th and 8th in his four races this year.

"I think we have an outside shot, a middle shot, and in-between shot," Zito said. "We're in it, and I feel good about it."

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