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BALTIMORE -- Running on the outside has been very good to Big Brown. Now the Kentucky Derby winner gets to try things from the middle.
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He was installed as the 1-2 early favorite for Saturday's Preakness, and a victory could set up a Triple Crown try three weeks later in the Belmont Stakes.
A field of 13 3-year-olds was entered Wednesday, with Big Brown drawing the No. 7 post for the 1 3/16th-mile race at Pimlico.
Big Brown won the Derby from the No. 20 far outside post and he won the Florida Derby from the No. 12 post. Now, he'll test himself under Kent Desormeaux from nearly the middle of the pack.
"He gets to save some ground for the first time," co-owner Michael Iavarone said. "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. We'll find out."
Eleven winners have come from the No. 7 post, the last being Silver Charm in 1997. Silver Charm also won the Kentucky Derby, but was outdueled in the stretch run of the Belmont by Touch Gold to lose his Triple Crown bid.
Big Brown is 4-0 in his career, having won by a combined total of more than 33 lengths. He arrived at Pimlico nearly three hours late Wednesday night from Louisville, Ky., where he has been stabled since his Derby win on May 3.
"We've got a good post," trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. said. "We're not going to cry if we get beat because of the post."
Dutrow didn't attend the draw since he was traveling on the plane with Big Brown. He has expressed concern about running Big Brown again so soon after his 4¾-length victory in the Derby. It will be the colt's shortest turnaround in his young career.
"We all know how hard it is to win the Kentucky Derby and come back in two weeks to win the Preakness," Iavarone said.
The colt will try to join Majestic Prince (1969), Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew (1977) and Smarty Jones (2004) as undefeated Derby winners who also won the Preakness. Six of the past 11 Derby winners have gone on to take the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Trainer Nick Zito, who won the 1996 Preakness with Louis Quatorze, was surprised to see 12 challengers line up against Big Brown.
"There is something about a Triple Crown race. I didn't think there would be that many horses after Big Brown's performance (in the Derby)," he said. "He's very good right now, until something happens. The horse looks tremendous right now. You can't anoint anybody yet. You've still got to run the race."
