Rombauer pulls upset with stretch run at Preakness

BALTIMORE — Rombauer romped to an upset victory in the Preakness on Saturday, denying Kentucky Derby winner Medina Sprint the chance at a Triple Crown that would have come with a giant asterisk.

Medina Spirit finished third. Midnight Bourbon was second.

Rombauer has given trainer Michael McCarthy his first Triple Crown victory by winning the 146th running of the Preakness as a 25-1 shot.

Rombauer came on strong down the stretch to overtake Bob Baffert’s front-running Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit on Saturday. Medina Spirit finished first at Churchill Downs two weeks ago but that result remains in limbo because the horse tested positive for a steroid after the race.

Midnight Bourbon came in second at Pimlico Race Course, 3 1/2 lengths back, after going off with 3-1 odds. Medina Spirit ended up third after going off as the 2-1 favorite.

Rombauer covered the 1 3/16th-mile course in an unofficial time of 1 minute, 53.62 seconds.

The bay colt had skipped the Kentucky Derby on May 1 and was McCarthy’s first Triple Crown entrant.

The win allowed McCarthy to get a Preakness win before his mentor, Todd Pletcher, a seven-time Eclipse Award winner as trainer of the year.