When eight horses loaded into the gate for the Preakness on May 18, Derby winner Mystik Dan was among them after trainer Kenny McPeek initially wasn’t inclined to run the colt, having noted he previously hadn’t turned in a good race with a quick turnaround. But when he bounced out of the race well, giving him a shot at the Preakness didn’t seem like too much of a stretch. And indeed, Mystik Dan ran a good race, but he could not reach Seize the Grey before the wire.
It was a marquee victory for all involved. Jockey Jaime Torres had only been riding for a short time. Not only was this his first appearance in a Triple Crown race and subsequently his first victory in one, it was also his first Grade 1 win. Quite a race to achieve that milestone in!
For D. Wayne Lukas, Seize the Grey’s victory gave him the distinction of being the oldest trainer to win the race. In a interview for the Kentucky HBPA’s YouTube channel a few days after the race, he wondered something to the effect of whether that was a great accolade. I am sure it was meant as such – speaking still to how age doesn’t matter when it comes to having honed a lifetime of acumen with preparing horses for top races.
For MyRacehorse, Seize the Grey is the first horse the entity 100% owned to win a classic race. Authentic, of course, won the Derby in 2020 with them along for the ride as a minority owner – and while that didn’t diminish the thrill of a singular victory, having one in the stable that was all theirs was another feather in the cap.
Perhaps it is the confluence of factors that led to young Torres being connected with racing in general and then some of Lukas’ horses that is the most compelling. Lukas clearly saw his potential and promise long before the Preakness, or no doubt he would not have the mount for that race.
Torres, naturally, was interviewed quite a bit by racing publications following the Preakness, where he recounted what led him to turn to racing as a profession. He was initially captivated seeing races on TV and then live at the track in his native Puerto Rico, which he mentioned in the moments on live TV immediately after winning the Preakness as he rode towards the winners’ circle. Later, in a print interview, he mentioned always being drawn to horses. The seeds were sown early for the path that lead him to this pinnacle achievement at Pimlico.
When he turned that passion to the pursuit of a career aboard horses, he learned from a top jockey colony. I could relate to always being drawn to horses, to the point of thinking that must be a calling. What he said about learning from a competitive jockey colony brought to mind what Rosie Napravnik once said – that the opportunity to learn from them, even just by observation in races alongside them, was instructive and necessary to further hone her own riding skills. Recalling that, it is clear such experience helped boost Torres’ own career.
Listening to Lukas speak in the post-Preakness press conference, he mentioned advice he had given Torres and also that he had not hesitated to call him out on a poor ride once. It was clear then the role of Coach was still one that was innate to him, and it was interesting to hear him discuss advice that could pertain to life in general, not just riding races. One was, “Do more than you think you can do, and be better than you think you can be.” I believe too we all can sometimes push ourselves a little more than we think and do better than we think, and maybe hearing that is possible from an outside perspective brings it all in focus.
With all those threads that combined to lead Seize the Grey to Preakness glory, the horse himself turned in a great effort, wire-to-wire, and never once faltered. It was beautiful to see that he would not be collared even when for a moment one wondered if Mystik Dan would catch him. When Mystik Dan wasn’t able to catch up to Seize the Grey, the dreams of a young jockey and 2,750 investors through the My Racehorse platform were realized, maybe even more than they had dared hope for but still wished would be.
Even as Lukas is not about to hang up his hat anytime soon, it is wonderful to think of how he has mentored multiple new generations to be involved in racing, to carry on the tradition and that too is already part of his vast legacy in the sport, with his latest protege of course being Torres.
Seize the Grey is expected to go on to contest the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga. The chance to carry on the dream continues!