Mucho Macho Man will try to write a story-book ending for trainer Kathy Ritvo and after a third-place Kentucky Derby finish, this horse will try to top the 2011 Preakness results on Saturday. Jockey Rajiv Maragh will start from the number nine post and with a field that is a bit less competitive than the Derby’s, I like Mucho Macho Man to land in the money at the Preakness. He was not in the same class as Animal Kingdom in the Kentucky Derby, but he was definitely gaining on runner-up Nehro at the finish line. The signs of late-stretch life he showed at Churchill feel like a positive sign going forward, and his race pattern displays a horse who is not all that likely to regress on a short turnaround.

Mucho Macho Man should be a square Preakness price as Animal Kingdom’s odds are plummeting. Many will expect Dialed In to deliver a stronger performance and Shackleford’s speed combined with his solid fourth-place Derby finish present a Preakness profile that many find appealing. Mucho Macho Man supporters might find that their horse is being relatively overlooked, and being the youngest horse in the field doesn’t help much. Mucho Macho Man is listed as a 4-1 morning line favorite at SBGGlobal.com, and although I don’t see him beating the top contenders in this field, another third or fourth place finish seems very realistic.

While he is a June foal, he has still gotten in more starts than most, if not all of the Preakness field. His strengths and limitations, therefore, may be more exposed than a horse like Animal Kingdom, who has gotten fewer racing opportunities. Animal Kingdom and Dialed in will start from the two post positions to the right of Mucho Macho Man, which should create some early jostling for position. Out of those three horses, whoever is able to steer clear of traffic in the opening stages will present the best opportunity to end up in the winner’s circle.

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