BALTIMORE (AP) The jockey shuffle heading into the Preakness has a musical chairs feel to it.
Of the 13 jockeys in Saturdays race, nine who rode in the Kentucky Derby are aboard a different horse in the Preakness. Most notably, Hall of Famer Mike Smith is now riding favored Improbable with familiar trainer Bob Baffert, bumping Irad Ortiz to Bourbon War.
It seems to be a little bit more than maybe most of the time, but this isnt uncommon, Smith said. Especially during this Triple Crown stuff, theres a lot of musical chairs. A lot of people picked up horses at the last minute and won the Derby, won the Preakness and won the Belmont, for that matter.
An unusual chain of events has contributed to all the movement this year.
The top four horses that crossed the finish line in Kentucky wont run in the Preakness. Improbable is the morning line favorite partially because he has finished first or second in five of six races, the lone exception when he came in fifth at the Derby and was bumped up to fourth after Maximum Security was disqualified.
Smith chose to ride Omaha Beach in the Derby, but after the race favorite was scratched, Baffert opted to stick with Ortiz. That didnt work well for anyone Improbable never really got a sniff of the lead under Ortiz and Smith finished 10th with Cutting Humor.
The team of Baffert and Smith produced a Triple Crown last year with Justify and four years ago with American Pharoah, and now trainer and jockey are together again trying to recreate the magic.
Its nothing against Irad. He rode him great in the Derby, said Elliot Walden, co-owner of Improbable. It came down to a simple thing: Bob Bafferts had good luck with Mike Smith. Bobs kind of a karma guy.
Thats only one of many switches for this race. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez replaces Chris Landeros aboard Bodexpress; Joel Rosario goes from Game Winner to Everfast; Jon Court from Long Range Toddy to Market King and Jose Ortiz from Tacitus to Anothertwistafate.
Also, Ricardo Santana moves from Plus Que Parfait to Laughing Fox, and Javier Castellano from Vekoma to Warriors Charge, which caused Florent Geroux to get in the saddle aboard Owendale.
Smith has been through similar situations before, and would love to pull off another win on Saturday.
Sometimes the first time you ride is the best time. I have a knack with that sometimes, he said.
Its a little easier decision when Baffert, a Hall of Fame trainer, reaches out with the opportunity to ride a strong, fast horse.
Youve got Mike Smith at this point in his career picking up all the best horses all around, said trainer D. Wayne Lukas, whos entering Market King. Mike picked up Omaha Beach, who probably would have been the favorite in the Derby, then he jumps back to Baffert because the favorite is here. Hes having a fairytale ride.
There are times when trainer and jockey match up through pure luck. Velazquez needed a mount and the Bodexpress camp was looking for a jockey, so now theyre teamed on a 20-1 horse in the Preakness.
It was actually Johnny and (his agent) asking, Whos riding your horse? assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. said. When you have somebody like that asking, it gives you a nice feeling that you have a shot.