May 22, 2006	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 23, 1427

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BALTIMORE (Maryland), May 21: Lightly raced longshot Bernardini easily captured the Preakness Stakes on Saturday after Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro pulled up in the first quarter-mile with a career-ending leg injury.

Barbaro, tipped by many to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978, suffered a fracture above and below the ankle in his right hind leg.

“There are some major hurdles,” said track veterinarian Larry Bramlage. “There are at least a couple of aspects of it that are very life threatening for him.

“His career is over. This will be it for him as a race horse. Under the best of circumstances, we're looking to try to save him as a stallion.”The horrific injury suffered by Barbaro overshadowed a stunning victory by Kentucky-bred Bernardini and jockey Javier Castellano.

Bernardini, who did not run in the Kentucky Derby and entered the Preakness with only three career races, saved ground along the rail and swung out four-wide at the quarter-pole.

The son of brilliant sire A.P. Indy out of Cara Rafaela exploded down the stretch under a hand-ride by Castellano to trounce runner-up Sweetnorthernsaint by 5 1/4 lengths.

Hemingway's Key, a chestnut colt trained by Nick Zito, finished a distant third, while Santa Anita Derby champion and Kentucky Derby morning line favorite Brother Derek was fourth.

Barbaro, suffering his first loss in seven career starts, broke through the gate before the start of the race and had to be re-loaded into his number six post position.

When the nine-horse race began, the dark bay Barbaro was in last place before jockey Edgar Prado pulled the colt up when it became apparent the he could no longer run.

While the stunned crowd at Pimlico Race Course gasped at the unfolding scene, Prado jumped off Barbaro before the first turn and tried to calm him down to prevent further injury.

After the race was over, Barbaro was loaded into an ambulance and taken off the track amid an eerie silence by the record Preakness crowd of 118,402.

“When he went to the gate, he was feeling super and I felt like he was in the best condition for this race,” said Prado.

“He actually tried to buck me off a couple of times.

“He was feeling that good. He just touched the front of the doors of the gate and went right through it.

“During the race, he took a bad step and I can't really tell you what happened. I heard a noise about 100 yards into the race and pulled him right up.”

Barbaro, who won the 20-horse Kentucky Derby by an astounding 6 1/2 lengths, was shipped to an animal hospital in Kennett Square, Pa., about an hour east of Philadelphia.

“We didn't expect this,” shaken Barbaro owner Gretchen Jackson said of her 1-2 Preakness favorite. “You can expect being beaten. You didn't think about this.”

Bernardini, owned by the Darley Stable which is operated by Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed, paid $27.80, $9.40 and $5.80 for a $2 ticket. Illinois Derby winner and local Maryland favorite Sweetnorthernsaint returned $7.80 and $5, and Hemingway's Key paid $8.Castellano, 28, said he had “two different emotions” about winning his first Preakness aboard his 12-1 longshot.

“I'm really excited for me and for my group to win the Preakness,” he said. “But at the same time I see the horse right in the middle of the track with everybody trying to help it.

“It's really, really sad. It really is bad.”

The winning time by the bay Withers Stakes winner of 1:54.65 was well off the Preakness record of 1:53.40 set by Louis Quatorze in 1996 and Tank's Prospect in 1985.

Results:

1. Bernardini (5 1/4 lengths ahead of next horse; jockey Javier Castellano); 2. Sweetnorthernsaint (6, Kent Desormeaux); 3. Hemingway's Key (4, Jeremy Rose); 4. Brother Derek (7, Alex Solis); 5. Greeley's Legacy (neck, Richard Migliore); 6. Platinum Couple (3 1/2, Jose Espinoza); 7. Like Now (2 1/4, Garrett Gomez); 8. Diabolical (Ramon Dominguez); 9. Barbaro (pulled up with injury; Edgar Prado).-—Reuters