Report: Kentucky Derby winner out of the Preakness

Country House, the horse put up as the winner of the Kentucky Derby after a controversial disqualification, will not run the Preakness Stakes, according to a report Tuesday.

Bill Mott, trainer of Country House, told the Daily Racing Form’s Jay Privman that Country House is coughing and “acting like he’s going to get sick.”

The Preakness runs in less than two weeks on May 18 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

“He’s off the training list, and if he’s off the training list, he’s off the Preakness list,” Mott said, according to Privman. Country House has remained at Mott’s barn at Churchill Downs since his victory.

If he does not race, Country House will become the first Kentucky Derby winner since Grindstone in 1996 to miss the Preakness. Grindstone was retired from racing five days after winning the Run for the Roses after the discovery of bone chips in his right knee.

Country House won the Kentucky Derby after Maximum Security was disqualified for switching out of his running lane and fouling another horse out of the turn. Country House crossed the line second behind the Jason Servis-trained horse, but was installed as the winner after a 22 minute review by race stewards.

Maximum Security’s connections have also said their horse will not run the Preakness, the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

The 2019 Preakness will mark the first time since 1985 that both the Kentucky Derby winner and runner-up did not follow up by racing in the second leg of the Triple Crown. That year, Spend a Buck won the Derby ahead of Stephan’s Odyssey.

Preakness no-shows

A list of Kentucky Derby winners since 1919 who did not participate in the Preakness. 1919 was the first year that a Kentucky Derby winner ran in the Preakness:

Year — Horse

1996 — Grindstone

1985 — Spend a Buck

1982 — Gato Del Sol

1959 — Tomy Lee

1955 — Swaps

1954 — Determine

1952 — Hill Gail

1951 — Count Turf

1938 — Lawrin

1929 — Clyde Van Dusen

1928 — Reigh Count

1926 — Bubbling Over

1925 — Flying Ebony

1924 — Black Gold

1922 — Morvich

1921 — Behave Yourself

1920 — Paul Jones

Source: Baltimore Sun

This story was originally published May 7, 2019 at 12:21 PM.