by Jeff Lowe

Enticed by the potential opportunity to face the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) winners in the same race, Ahmed Zayat has confirmed Pioneerof the Nile for the Preakness Stakes (G1).

Jess Jackson and Harold T. McCormick have not yet announced plans for Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra, but Zayat is convinced her new owners will enter her in the Preakness against Derby winner Mine That Bird and his Derby runner-up.

Rachel Alexandra would be the first Oaks winner to compete in the Preakness.

“I am a very competitive guy by nature, and I would love to beat her, so now I can come and if he wins, my colt would have beaten the Oaks winner and the Derby winner,” said Zayat, the owner and breeder of the CashCall Futurity (G1) and Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner. “That would automatically make him the best three-year-old in the country. It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity. It would be a huge achievement.”

Zayat acknowledged that he could throw a curveball into the mix by entering enough horses to exclude Rachel Alexandra from the Preakness. She was not nominated to the Triple Crown and would have to be supplemented to the Preakness for $100,000, and she would have no preference over nominated horses if the race draws more entries than the maximum of 14 starters.

Zayat led all owners with 22 nominees to the Triple Crown.

“Can I theoretically fill the field out? Yes,” Zayat said. “I have enough colts that are nominated that have a legitimate shot to run. Can I get her out? Yeah, I can, but I’m not really sure that’s what I want.”

Zayat said he was not pleased with the maintenance of the Churchill Downs dirt surface on Derby day. The track was sloppy and sealed throughout the day after heavy overnight rain.

“I felt we were beat by the track and the weather, to say the least,” Zayat said. “I think there was a huge inside bias, and I was concerned about that. I wasn’t at all happy with the way the track had been all day. I think we really suffered because of them being less aggressive about it because they were concerned about what happened last year with Eight Belles. They were wanting to be more conservative than aggressive.

“That’s my feeling about the track; what beat me was the track. I don’t know if [Mine That Bird] is legit or not legit, time will tell. Certainly I’m looking forward for the Preakness to be able to prove who’s the real deal here.”

Zayat said he watched the Derby replay over and over trying to make sense of the result.

“I’m not talking about the fact that [Mine That Bird] won, I’m talking about the margin and the way that he won,” Zayat said. “He ran by the other horses like they were tied to a pole. How do you get this performance? I just don’t know.

“My horse ran a very courageous race. He refused to be passed and held second. He proved himself to be very versatile. … He’s done very well since the race. We’re going to take our shot.”

To view video of the Kentucky Derby, click here.

Jeff Lowe is a THOROUGHBRED TIMES staff writer