Cloud Computing

CLOUD COMPUTING (c, Maclean's Music—Quick Temper, by A.P. Indy)

O-Klaravich Stables, Inc. & William H. Lawrence. B-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. & Stretch Run Ventures, LLC (KY). T-Chad C. Brown. Sales History: $200,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGSP, 3-1-1-1, $171,000.

Last Start: 3rd, GII Wood Memorial S., AQU, Apr. 8

Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs

Cloud Computing falls under the “fresh face” category for this year's Preakness, and he's an intriguing candidate to spring an upset. Yet even though this angle gets played up every year, “fresh” horses that don't start in the Derby haven't accounted for many recent Preakness victories. The last two sophomores to do it were both anomalies in my opinion: Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro) in 2009 won the GI Kentucky Oaks against fillies the very same weekend as the Derby (so it's not like she avoided racing two weeks prior to the Preakness), and the 2006 Preakness win by Bernardini (A.P. Indy) will always have an asterisk next to it in my mind because of the tragedy that befell Barbaro (Dynaformer) at the start. Those two victories respectfully excluded, you have to go back 17 years to Red Bullet (Unbridled) in 2000, and then another 17 years to Deputed Testamony (Traffic Cop) in 1983 to come up with the most recent Preakness winners who sat out the Derby. Yet Cloud Computing has some positives in his favor: He was a solid winner on debut in February, then ran a game second in the Gotham S. in an ambitious placement for his second start. He got bet way down in the Wood Memorial, in which he was three wide on the first turn before behind ridden hard to attain a commendable third-place finish. Cloud Computing qualified for the Derby on points, but his connections opted to sit out the first Saturday in May, declaring three weeks ago that the Preakness would be the colt's next goal. “He breezed very well, galloped out super and came back good so far,” trainer Chad Brown said after a :48.85 half-mile move (2/32) at Belmont Park on Saturday. “That's his last piece of work and if he comes out of it well he'll be on to Baltimore on Tuesday.”