Crude Velocity says no to the Preakness and aims for the Woody Stephens Stakes

It was reported by Bob Baffert, regarding the brilliant winner of the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).— The Preakness Stakes (G1) on May 16 continues to lose heavyweight figures. Following the confirmed withdrawal of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Golden Tempo (Curlin), Bob Baffert's team has now decided to step aside. The talented and undefeated Crude Velocity, who emerged as the big favorite in the leader's absence, will not travel to Laurel Park, leaving the second gem of the Triple Crown with an extremely uncertain outlook and lacking its main stars.

The news, spread by journalist Carlos Morales via social media, indicates that the Hall of Fame trainer prefers not to force the return of the son of Beau Liam after his categorical victory in the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) a week ago at Churchill Downs. Although the race was a logical temptation, the brief two-week margin between commitments weighed more heavily on the scale for Baffert and the interests of CSLR Racing Partners.

Crude Velocity maintains an immaculate record of 3 wins in as many starts. After breaking his maiden in March and confirming his form in an allowance in April, both at Santa Anita Park, the bay made the quality leap during the big race days by winning by nearly four lengths in the Louisville mile. It is worth noting that all his performances to date have been at distances of 1,600 meters or less; therefore, the jump to the 1,900 meters of the Preakness represented an unprecedented challenge for his stamina.

With this change of plans, the roadmap for the maternal grandson of excellence now points toward Saratoga, where on June 6 he will seek the first G1 of his career in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1), before projecting his campaign toward the Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park on July 18.

Given the withdrawal of the most brilliant names, the Preakness is heading toward being a contest of fresh faces with very few survivors from the first Saturday in May. In this context, the name Ocelli emerges. The pupil of Whit Beckman, who made history by finishing third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) while still a maiden, now appears as one of the few contenders from the Run for the Roses who will dare the short 14-day turnaround.

Recent history supports this decision, with examples like Seize the Grey (Arrogate, 2024), who won in Marylandafter winning the Pat Day Mile, or Journalism (Curlin, 2025), who reached glory after finishing second in the Derby. However, for Ocelli, the mission will be doubly complex: seeking his first official success in nothing less than a gem of the Triple Crown.

The weakening of the field for this year at Laurel Park—the temporary venue due to the reconstruction of Pimlico—opens a range of possibilities for horses that did not qualify for the Derby or decided to skip it, but it takes away the luster of the direct confrontation between the generation's best exponents that the public always expects to see.