Bodexpress runs whole Preakness with out jockey

Two weeks after a wild end on the Kentucky Derby, the 144th operating of the Preakness Stakes received off to an uncommon begin.

Bodexpress bucked Corridor of Fame jockey John Velazquez simply moments after racing out of the beginning gate, dodged an outrider who tried to corral the riderless colt and ended up doing two laps across the Pimlico monitor.

“He wasn’t behaving properly,” stated Velazquez, who added that he’s high quality and won’t search medical consideration. “When the doorways opened, I used to be off proper from the beginning, and he sort of jumped sideways, and I had my ft out sideways, and I misplaced my stability and went out.”

Velazquez has gained two Kentucky Derbys and two Belmont Stakes however is now Zero-for-9 within the Preakness.

Warfare of Will, the horse most affected by Most Safety’s interference on the Kentucky Derby, completed first within the Preakness. Everfast got here in second, and Owendale was third.

Technically, Bodexpress was dominated a starter within the race, however he obtained a did-not-finish, and thus, anybody who guess on the horse didn’t have his/her wagers returned.

Mark Casse, Warfare of Will’s proprietor, stated he knew immediately that there was a riderless horse within the race.

“Johnny is an expensive buddy of [my wife and I],” Casse stated. “Numerous these guys are our buddies. So we had been frightened. I used to all the time inform my riders, good luck, good luck. Till a couple of years in the past, we had a horse go down and get damage, and from that time on, I all the time simply say, be secure.”

Warfare of Will jockey Tyler Gaffalione stated he did not know a rider had fallen off till “they began yelling, ‘Free horse!'”

The Related Press and ESPN’s Heather Dinich contributed to this report.