Thousand Words expected to behave better at Preakness

Spendthift Farm’s general manager, Ned Toffey, had a roller coaster half-hour at the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. Thousand Words flipped in the paddock during saddling, resulting in his scratch from the race and an injury for assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes.

Then, Thousand Words’ stablemate Authentic won the Run for the Roses, greatly improving the mood. On Saturday, Authentic will go again, looking to win Saturday's 2020 Preakness Stakes.

During the Derby, “I think I was still in a funk from Thousand Words and that incident,” Toffey said during an NTRA media call. “It wasn’t until they got in the stretch and the way he responded … I perked up just a bit at that point.”

Toffey was optimistic about Authentic’s chances in what became the final 2020 Triple Crown race because the pandemic. He said the Bob Baffert-trained colt needs to stay focused, a concern heading into the Kentucky Derby after he was almost caught from behind in the Haskell Stakes.

“Bob, when I’ve spoken in private with him, has been very, very consistent about not having any reservations about this horse’s ability to get the mile and the quarter,” Toffey said.

Thousand Words is expected to behave just fine at the Preakness, Toffey said, though the group will be wary of saddling.

“Bob’s a wonderful horseman,” Toffey said. “I know Bob’s joked about looking for help saddling him, but Bob said to us this morning up at Churchill that he felt very comfortable with it and was not worried about it.”

Later in the call, Toffey spoke of his years working for Spendthrift owner Wayne Hughes and the influence Hughes has had on his career.

“You’d be hard-pressed to find somebody more deserving to win the Derby,” Toffey said. “He’s put so much into this game for so many years and he’s done it in so many ways just in terms of what he’s spent on horses over the years, in terms of what he’s done here at Spendthrift, in terms of the creative programs to help breeders be successful. I was very, very happy that we were able to help him get his first Derby win.”

Authentic is the morning line favorite for the Preakness at 9-5 and will break from the ninth post position, while Thousand Words sits at 6-1 and will break from the fifth slot in a field of 11.