Early Voting: Preakness contender profile
Early Voting wins the Withers Stakes (Photo by Chelsea Durand/Coglianese Photos)
May 19th, 2022
Early Voting easily won his first two starts on the front end at Aqueduct, including the Withers (G3) in early February, but the competition was suspect. He received a litmus test in the April 9 Wood Memorial (G2), performing admirably to finish a neck second to a seasoned Mo Donegal, and the race came back fast.
Early Voting fit on Brisnet figures for the Kentucky Derby, but his frontrunning style wasn’t favorable for the speed-laden field. Connections elected to bypass for the Preakness, and considering how quickly the dark bay Kentucky-bred has broken from the starting gate in both stakes starts, and his tremendous cruising speed, the improving colt rates as a serious threat on the early lead. Early Voting has been pegged as the 7-2 second choice on the morning line.
Early Voting Speed Figures
Top Brisnet Speed: 111, Wood Memorial
Top Brisnet Late Pace: 111, Wood Memorial
Early Voting Pedigree
Sire: Gun Runner
Record-setting freshman sire Gun Runner was represented by a pair of runners in the Kentucky Derby (Cyberknife and Taiba), and he’s the sire of Early Voting. By Candy Ride, Gun Runner earned more than $15.9 million, and won six Grade 1 stakes, and the 2017 Horse of the Year has already been represented by 11 stakes winners, including champion Echo Zulu, from his first crop. Gun Runner looks poised to be an influence upon Triple Crown races for years to come.
Dam: Amour d’Ete
Early Voting is the first stakes winner from the unraced Tiznow mare Amour d’Ete, who is out of Canadian champion Silken Cat and a half-sister to champion sprinter and sire Speightstown and 2017 Blue Grass (G2) winner Irap. Tiznow, the 2000 Horse of the Year, is the broodmare sire of 2017 Belmont winner Tiz the Law.
Early Voting Connections
Owner: Klaravich Stables
Early Voting was purchased for $200,000 as a yearling by Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables, which campaigned 2017 Preakness winner Cloud Computing.
Trainer: Chad Brown
Chad Brown won with his first Preakness starter, Cloud Computing in 2017, and Early Voting will be his fifth runner in the middle leg of the Triple Crown. Brown has also placed in the Kentucky Derby with Good Magic (second in 2018) and Zandon (third in 2022).
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Up for all three career starts, Jose Ortiz will make his fourth Preakness attempt aboard Early Voting. His best finish was a fourth on Good Magic in 2018.
Learn about all of the Preakness Stakes Contenders and insight from our expert handicappers on the lead up to race day here on TwinSpires.com
