Two runners carrying Blue Grass Stakes form into the Preakness without a Kentucky Derby start will test a pattern that has produced three winners from nine non-Derby Preakness victors since 1991.

Talkin and Great White both contested the Blue Grass at Keeneland before bypassing Churchill Downs, making them the only horses in this year's field following that specific preparation path. The connection has proven effective in recent years, with Seize the Grey, Rombauer and Swiss Skydiver all converting Blue Grass runs into Preakness victories after skipping the Derby.

The broader trend shows nine Preakness winners over the past three decades arrived without Derby experience, including an unbroken run from 2020 through 2024. Red Bullet, Bernardini, Rachel Alexandra, Cloud Computing, Swiss Skydiver, Rombauer, Early Voting, National Treasure and Seize the Grey form that list, with the Blue Grass trio representing a distinct subset within it.

Whether Talkin or Great White can extend the sequence depends on their ability to replicate what Seize the Grey achieved last year and Rombauer managed in 2021, when fresh legs and solid Keeneland form proved enough to overcome Derby-tested rivals.

Image extraction from Turfway Park