Our preview of 2011 Preakness Stakes contenders carries on with a look at the third place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, Mucho Macho Man. Owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing & Dream Team One Racing Stable, Mucho Macho Man (or MMM as his colt buddies call him) is extremely consistent, finishing worse than fourth only once in his nine career starts, amassing $610,643 so far in winnings.
Mucho Macho Man has quite a backstory, as he appeared stillborn at birth, only to suddenly jump to his feet and begin walking, earning the horse the nickname "Lazarus". Not to be outdone by her horse's personal backstory, Mucho Macho Man's trainer, Kathy Ritvo, just happened to have a heart transplant in November 2008. The 41-year-old mother of three, showing the same fire as her newborn colt, was back training horses six months after the surgery. Ritvo will become only the 14th woman trainer to saddle a horse at the Preakness.
Rajiv Maragh, Mucho Macho Man's jockey, is an up and comer in the sport. This will be the 25-year-old Maragh's first mount in the Preakness.
There's a lot to like about Mucho Macho Man, from the third place Derby finish to the headline joke potential if he wins to just the overall karma surrounding all the players in this story. I get a good vibe from this horse.
And I'm sorry, I tried to make it through the whole post without a Randy Savage mention, but I just can't help myself. Ooooh Yeahhhh.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico. Stay with our Preakness Stakes StoryStream for more on the race. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.