Preakness 2017: Leparoux says Classic Empire can beat Always Dreaming

Jockey Julien Leparoux, an Eclipse Award winner as an apprentice and journeyman, has won seven Breeders’ Cup races but is awaiting his first in a Triple Crown event. Leparoux, now 33, was second in the 2008 Preakness aboard Macho Again, a position he hopes to improve upon this year with John Oxley’s Classic Empire, last year’s 2-year-old champion who finished fourth in last week’s Kentucky Derby.

 

Classic Empire’s Derby was over almost as soon as it started. He broke cleanly from the No. 14 post, and there appeared to be plenty of room to his outside, with McCraken in the 15 hole, the first stall in the six-horse auxiliary starting gate used to accommodate a 20-horse field. But Irish War Cry veered into McCraken, who came over sharply into Classic Empire, who in turn careened into No. 13 J Boys Echo.

 

“He broke very sharp, broke very well,” Leparoux said at Churchill Downs. “But the outside horses just came over very quick and very, very hard – bumped him very hard. It was kind of tough to overcome that, but he ran a great race, a big, big race. Hopefully, we’ll get a cleaner trip at Pimlico and try to win it this time.”

 

The plan had been to be up close to the pace – not far behind eventual winner Always Dreaming and third-place finisher Battle of Midway. The plan worked for one jump. After the second and third jumps, Classic Empire led only the rear third of the capacity field.

 

“I mean, they bumped me very, very hard,” Leparoux said. “I even looked behind because I thought I came in so hard that I dropped the one inside of me. Luis Saez (on J Boys Echo) got hit pretty bad, too…. I knew it was going to be tough from there. He ran a great race to finish fourth and never quit on me.”

 

On the far turn, Leparoux appeared in a good spot following the highly-regarded McCraken.

 

“I thought he’d bring me to a good position in the race,” he said. “But by doing that, I got wide, probably five or six wide around the second turn and I had to go around him. I shouldn’t say improve, but if we get a better race, we should get closer to or beat Always Dreaming.

 

“The good thing about that day was that he was so professional. Everybody was worried how he was going to act with that crowd, 160,000 people. He was such a pro. He was very relaxed, got to the gate no problem and broke sharp. He did everything well,” he added. “It’s too bad we got a rough start over that. (The Preakness) is not as big of a field. If he breaks as good as he did and puts me in the race, we should be in a better spot during the race and hopefully we can reverse the finish.

 

“Always Dreaming is a great horse, and he was very impressive. Not taking anything from what he did. I just want to have a good race for both of them, and see which one is the best one. Maybe it is Always Dreaming, but I don’t think the Derby was fair enough for Classic Empire to say, ‘OK, maybe Always Dreaming is better.’ I think if we have a good race and he has a good race, we’ll see who is best,” Leparoux continued. “That’s my goal in the Preakness: both of them good racing, good trip and see what happens.”

 

Classic Empire jogged a lap and galloped a lap Saturday morning at Churchill under exercise rider Martin Rivera. 

 

“He was real aggressive, he was on the bridle,” said Norman Casse, who oversees the Kentucky operation for his dad, trainer Mark Casse, “showing really encouraging signs that he’s happy and healthy right now.”

 

The Arkansas Derby (G1) winner will train Sunday morning then be part of the Casse Pimlico-stakes contingent leaving about 3 p.m. to van to Baltimore. The horses will have a walk day Monday and resuming training Tuesday.

 

Kentucky Derby runner-up Lookin At Lee and his 11th-place stablemate Hence, both trained by Steve Asmussen, had routine gallops at Churchill Downs. Meanwhile, the Antonio Sano-trained Gunnevera, seventh in the Derby, left early Saturday morning to van to Baltimore.