Keeneland sales graduates swept the top three spots in Saturday’s $1.5 million Preakness (G1) at Pimlico as Gary Barber’s War of Will won the race by 1¼ lengths over Calumet Farm’s Everfast with Rupp Racing’s Owendale finishing third.
This was the first Preakness in 23 years not to include a Kentucky Derby winner.
Keeneland sales have produced 25 Preakness winners, including 10 of the past 13 with undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify taking the race in 2018.
War of Will in Keeneland sales ring. (From Keeneland video)
Other winning sales graduates during that period are Curlin (2007), Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Big Brown (2008), Lookin At Lucky (2010), Shackleford (2011), Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another (2012), Oxbow (2013), Exaggerator (2016) and Cloud Computing (2017).
Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione for trainer Mark Casse, War of Will won the Preakness at odds of 6-1.
Flaxman Holdings Limited bred the son of War Front, who was consigned by Lane’s End, agent, to the 2017 September Yearling Sale and was an RNA to Sale.
Everfast was a $47,000 purchase as a yearling at the 2017 January Horses of All Ages Sale. Owendale, winner of Keeneland’s Stonestreet Lexington (G3) in April, sold for $200,000 at the 2017 September Sale.
Keeneland sales produced nine of the 13 3-year-olds entered in the Preakness.
At Pimlico, Keeneland sales graduates captured other stakes on Preakness Weekend. On Friday, Point of Honor won the Black-Eyed Susan (G2), and Covfefe set a track record in the Adena Springs Miss Preakness (G3).
On Saturday, Catholic Boy won the Dixie (G2), and New York Central took the Maryland Sprint (G3).
Keeneland
