Race for the Crown episode 5 recap: The Preakness

The Preakness—the middle jewel of the Triple Crown—takes center stage in episode 5 of "Race for the Crown." Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan enters the series' second leg with history on the line. A win at Pimlico would put him just one race away from becoming the 14th horse to sweep the Triple Crown.

After the Derby, trainer Kenny McPeek hears from people he hasn’t talked to in years. 

“The best one was my aunt’s first ex-husband, who I haven’t seen since I was seven,” he laughs. “And she had five of them! The other four haven’t contacted me.” 

McPeek and his wife, Sherri, celebrate both the Derby victory and their 10th anniversary at the Matt Winn Steakhouse at Churchill Downs, seated at a table overlooking the track. 

“It’s kind of a sickness,” he says. “You get a day off, you go to the races.” 

Throughout the episode, the banter continues between McPeek and Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who is 88 at the time of the Preakness.

“Some believe he is going to live forever,” McPeek says. “I think he’s part vampire.” 

On the Thursday before the race, trainers gather for the Alibi Breakfast, a Pimlico tradition since the 1930s, billed as a morning of “boasting, toasting, and roasting.” 

“I finally did something that Wayne Lukas had never done,” McPeek said. “The Oaks-Derby double.” 

“I’ll get the mic last,” Lukas counters. But when he does, he is gracious.

“Kenny. I’m so happy that you’re here,” he says. “It’s always a better race with the Derby winner. We’ll make it interesting. Nobody’s going to steal it. We’ll be out there.”  

Meanwhile, Frankie Dettori reflects on his Derby experience.

“I wish I could have made more of an impact,” he admits, “but when you get beat, you’ve got to move on. Otherwise, it will eat you alive. I know I had a long shot, but I really enjoyed it. Just to be part of it and have a shot at it.”

His focus shifts to the Preakness, where he’ll ride Imagination--his first mount at Pimlico.

“It’s a great opportunity for Frankie,” his wife, Catherine Dettori, says. “One of the great races that he grew up hearing about. It meant the world to him when he got a phone call from Bob Baffert.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is back on the Triple Crown stage after missing the Kentucky Derby due to a suspension. He looks for a record ninth win in the Preakness.  

We also meet jockey Katie Davis at her family’s Saratoga Springs property, which was bought by her father in 1995. Horse racing runs deep in her blood: her father, sister, brother, and husband Trevor McCarthy are all jockeys.

Davis is riding in the Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2), the Friday feature at Pimlico, similar to the Kentucky Oaks. She’s aboard Ringy Dingy, a 19-1 longshot trained by Danny Gargan, who previously appeared in "Race for the Crown" as the trainer of Kentucky Derby contender Dornoch, co-owned by former MLB All-Star Jayson Werth.

At Pimlico, a parking attendant questions Davis’s credentials. She makes a phone call to gain access to the jockeys’ lot. 

When the big moment comes, her mount rears up during the post parade. Hall of Famer John Velazquez and Gun Song win the race, with Davis finishing sixth.

“I’m not as hard on myself as I used to be,” she says. “Know your mistakes, but don’t be too hard. Other people will do that for you. That race sucked, but I’ve got another big chance coming up in the Belmont S., and it’s a big opportunity.”

Rain falls on Preakness morning, and Lukas believes the wet track may favor Mystik Dan, who’s already proven he can win in the slop. Lukas, chasing history, sends out Seize the Grey.

“You’ve won several times before…” an interviewer begins.

“‘Several’ meaning six?” Lukas cuts in, smiling.

Seize the Grey breaks sharply when the gates open and sets the pace. Imagination and Dettori press early but fade after the three-quarter pole. Mystik Dan rallies, but Seize the Grey holds on.

“The 88-year-old legend Wayne Lukas has done it,” the announcer exclaims. “The oldest trainer to ever win a Triple Crown race wins his seventh Preakness.” 

A reporter asks McPeek, “And if it couldn’t be you, you’re really happy that it was Lukas?”

“Wayne and I are long friends,” McPeek says. “I love him, actually. Even when he beats me.”

Now, all eyes turn to the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes, where the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners will meet head-to-head.