Preservationist

A $485,000 purchase as a yearling at the 2014 Keeneland September sale, Preservationist raced only four times in his first three season on the racetrack. He was second in his 2016 debut and third in his only race in 2017 before winning a maiden race and an allowance race, both at Aqueduct, as a 5-year-old in 2018.

He returned from another lengthy layoff in January 2019 and finished third in a sprint before stretching back out to a mile on Feb. 2 at Aqueduct and winning by a head. He turned in a then-career-best effort (111 Equibase Speed Figure) in a 1 ½-length allowance win on May 23 at Belmont Park, which gave trainer Jimmy Jerkens the confidence to test him against stakes competition. Preservationist made his stakes debut in the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes on July 6 at Belmont Park and outfinished multiple Grade 1 winner Catholic Boy to earn a breakthrough victory.

Preservationist made his Grade 1 debut in the Whitney Stakes on Aug. 3 at Saratoga, and held the lead after a mile only to weaken in the stretch and finish fourth. He learned from his first two-turn race, however, and returned in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets on Aug. 31 at Saratoga with a much improved effort. With regular rider Junior Alvarado aboard, Preservationist patiently stalked the pace and momentarily waited at the top of the stretch before splitting horses and outfinishing runner-up Bal Harbour and 2018 Woodward Stakes winner Yoshida to score an impressive half-length win.

Preservationist is out of the winning Dixieland Band mare Flying Dixie, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winners Hungry Island and graded stakes winner Soaring Empire.