Romans adds Preakness Stakes longshot Everfast to the mix

Trainer Dale Romans and Calumet Farm -- two entities never afraid to take a shot in a major race -- made Everfast a late edition to the Preakness Stakes field ahead of Wednesday's post position draw.

A son of Take Charge Indy, Everfast will run back from a fifth-place effort on the Kentucky Derby undercard in Churchill Downs' Pat Day Mile (G3). This season, the colt also ran second in Gulfstream Park's Holy Bull (G2), eighth in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and ninth in the Florida Derby (G1).

Everfast's addition brings the Preakness field to 13 runners, the largest group to contest the second leg of the Triple Crown series at Pimlico Race Course since a full field of 14 headed postward in 2011.

"It's a wide-open field," Romans said.

Joel Rosario will be aboard Everfast, a 2017 Keeneland January purchase who hammered for $47,000. The horse's lone win in 10 starts came on debut Aug. 12 at Ellis Park. Since then, he also has one second and a third.

Everfast's top effort in the Holy Bull came at 128-1 and completed a $1,01.70 exacta for a $1 bet when Harvey Wallbanger flew late to win it after a pace collapse.

“He jumped up and ran big in the Holy Bull,” Romans said. “When he runs big, he runs big. We’re hoping he throws in one of those big races. Some of the top contenders are missing, so we’ll take a chance. He’s training like he did before the Holy Bull.

"We’re going to try to wheel him back off the sprint and see if we can get a piece of it. You’ve got a future Hall of Fame rider, so we might as well take a shot.”

Expect to see Everfast at 30-1 or higher on the Preakness morning line. Oxbow, who scored for current Calumet owner Brad Kelley in the 2013 Preakness, was off at 15-1. Romans struck two years earlier with Shackleford.

Wednesday's post position draw will happen between 4 and 6 p.m. ET in downtown Baltimore.