BALTIMORE — This was supposed to be a duel between the Kentucky Derby winner, Always Dreaming, and Classic Empire, a hard-luck colt who most believed was the best 3-year-old horse in the country. And a duel it was, a heart-pounding one, as the two of them glided down the backstretch side by side as if they were stuck together.
For three-quarters of a mile, the jockey John Velazquez kept Always Dreaming’s head in front. He hovered like a hummingbird, seemingly waiting for the right moment to zip away and put himself on the cusp of a Triple Crown.