Isn't He Clever won't be winning the Triple Crown in 2012 -- he won't be winning the 2012 Kentucky Derby, either. But the horse might yet prevent another thoroughbred from taking home the prize that has eluded every three-year-old since 1978.

Isn't He Clever will skip the 2012 Kentucky Derby and instead focus on the 2012 Preakness Stakes following a recent trend set by trainers who skip the longer Derby to give their charges a chance to come into the Preakness with fewer miles on their legs.

Isn't He Clever isn't quite on the level of the last horse to skip the Kentucky Derby and win the Preakness -- Rachel Alexandra in 2009 -- and was likely going to be one of the long shots in the Derby field, having failed to win a graded stakes race as yet in his career. But even a long shot becomes a slightly more dangerous Preakness contender on fresher legs.

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