"Point Given weighs almost 1,300 pounds," Stevens said. "Earlier on the card I won a race on a horse that weighed closer to 900 pounds. He just skimmed over the surface." Three track records were set on the Derby undercard, leading many to complain that the track condition was vastly different than what horses had trained over in the weeks leading up to the first Triple Crown race. Stevens has been criticized by some for having Point Given too close to the hot early pace in the contest.
Jockey Gary Stevens, readying for the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) aboard Point Given, said he thought the unusually hard Churchill Downs racing surface hurt the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) favorite more than some of the lighter horses in the race.