WHERE THERE’S A WILL ...

War of Will Wins 2019 Preakness Stakes, Beating Riderless Horse

Bodexpress threw off Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and finished the race without a rider.

War of Will crossed the finish line first at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Saturday night, becoming the winner of the 144th Preakness Stakes. The race, which dates back to 1873 and marks the second leg of the Triple Crown, came after a dramatic Kentucky Derby in which the first horse to cross the finish line, Maximum Security, was disqualified for having allegedly veered into the path of War of Will. The Preakness Stakes had a mishap of its own on Saturday: Hall of Fame jockey John R. Velazquez fell off Bodexpress at the beginning of the race, leaving the horse to finish without a rider. For the first time in decades, the Preakness Stakes also did not feature the Kentucky Derby winner. Country House, the horse that won the Kentucky Derby after Maximum Security’s disqualification, did not compete due to medical reasons, trainer Bill Mott said. The winner of the 144th Preakness race is traditionally adorned with yellow daisies and black flowers dubbed “Black-Eyed Susans” to match Maryland’s colors.