BALTIMORE (AP) Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will ride Gunnevera in the Preakness, replacing Javier Castellano who has chosen another horse for the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Castellano finished seventh aboard Gunnevera in the Kentucky Derby last weekend. Smith rode Girvin to a 13th-place finish.
For the Preakness on May 20, Castellano will be aboard Cloud Computing, trained by Chad Brown. Castellano rides a number of horses for the New York-based trainer.
Alex Sano, who assists his trainer-father Antonio Sano with Gunnevera, says they understand Castellano’s loyalty to Brown. They’re happy to have Smith commit to Gunnevera, a horse he’s never ridden.