2008-05-07 22:06:45

BALTIMORE (Reuters) - Illinois Derby champion Recapturetheglory, who came fifth in the Kentucky Derby, will run in the Preakness Stakes, his handlers said on Wednesday.

Recapturetheglory will be the only Kentucky Derby starter other than champion Big Brown to run in the $1 million race on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

"Big Brown is a bear but we're not going to run in it (the Preakness) to run second," Recapturetheglory co-owner Ronnie Lamarque told Preakness officials. "We're there to win and we believe it is a speed favoring racetrack.

"I'll look at all the other entrants. They don't scare me at all and I believe our horse definitely belongs and we feel like the Preakness is our kind of race."

With E T Baird in the saddle, the son of Cherokee Run broke from the 18th post position and fought gamely in last Saturday's Kentucky Derby before tiring in the stretch.

The nine starters confirmed so far for the Preakness are Big Brown, Recapturetheglory, Behindatthebar, Giant Moon, Kentucky Bear, Racecar Rhapsody, Stevil, Tres Borrachos and Yankee Bravo.

(Writing by Steve Ginsburg in Washington, editing by Ken Ferris)