LOUIS QUATORZE broke the Wayne Lukas stranglehold on the American Triple Crown by making all the running to easily win the Preakness Stakes in record equalling time at Pimlico on Saturday.
There was an element of poetic justice to the result as the winning rider, Pat Day, had been "jocked off" the most fancied Lukas contender, Prince of Thieves, in favour of Jerry Bailey.
The inconsistent Prince of Thieves could only manage seventh on this occasion, as Louis Quatorze powered his way to a 3 1/4 lengths victory over Skip Away in the same time of one minute 53.4 seconds as set by the Day-ridden Tank's Prospect in 1985.
Day was winning the race for the third consecutive year and the fifth time in all. Ironically, three of those wins had come on Lukas runners, Tank's Prospect, Tabasco Cat and Timber Country.
Day, a devout Christian, said: "I'm happy not necessarily because Lukass winning streak ended, but just because mine continued. There's no feeling of vengeance. I feel in my heart this is where God would have me be."
Lukas, angling for a seventh consecutive Triple Crown success, obtained his best placing with Editor's Note (third), with the "third string" Victory Speech, co-owned by Michael Tabor and Mrs John Magnier, not disgraced in fifth.
