What a difference a week makes. Just 48 hours after Street Sense came bounding under the wire to win the 133rd Kentucky Derby, it appeared as if no less than a dozen horses would be entering the gate for this Saturday's 132nd running of the Preakness at Pimlico. With less than a week to go however, the list has dwindled down to eight, maybe nine.
In years past, plenty of new shooters have done well in the Preakness after skipping the Derby. In 2000, Red Bullet, who finished second to eventual Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus when those two met in the Wood Memorial, avenged the loss when he handily defeated FuPeg in the Preakness under Jerry Bailey.
Who could forget two years ago, when Scrappy T almost upset the apple cart in more ways than one when he was second to Afleet Alex after almost dropping the winner on the far turn under jockey Ramon Dominguez. And just last season, while overshadowed by the drama that unfolded after the ill-fated Barbaro’s breakdown, Bernardini burst onto the scene with his impressive score int eh second jewel of the Triple Crown.
You would think the success of those three, who are just the tip of the iceberg mind you, would have encouraged others to take a shot at Street Sense but it hasn’t. Depending on who you talk to, only five or six newcomers plan on showing up in the Preakness, with the one on the fence the most dangerous in the eyes of many. His name is Chelokee.
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If not for terrible ride in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, Chelokee would have won that event, thus giving him enough graded stakes earnings to run for the roses. But it didn’t, and when his trainer, Michael Matz realized his chances of drawing into the race were bleak, he decided to scrap the Derby plan altogether and focus on the Preakness.
Now, in the past few days, he’s basically said he wouldn’t run his son of Cherokee Run, who himself was second behind Prairie Bayou in the 1993 Preakness, unless something happened to Street Sense, Hard Spun or Curlin, the top three finishers in the Derby that are coming back in the Preakness. Instead of the Preakness, Chelokee will likely run on the Preakness undercard in a race formerly known as the Sir Barton. It’s now known as the Barbaro.
Don’t be too surprised if more trainers adopt Matz’ mentality and decide to run should something happen to one of the big three. But should Chelokee and the rest stay away, the new shooter that should attract the most attention is King of the Roxy, trained by Todd Pletcher.
After finishing off the board with all five of his Derby starters, running his record to an abysmal 0 for 19 in the Kentucky Derby, Pletcher sends King of the Roxy into the Preakness having finished second beaten just a half length to Tiago last out in the G1 Santa Anita Derby. Pletcher, along with the colts’ owners Team Valor Stable decided to pass the Derby with this son of Littleexpectations and train him up to the Preakness.
Since the SA Derby, King of the Roxy was training steadily at Keeneland before shipping to Belmont with the rest of the Pletcher’s horses. This past Saturday, he had his final work before the Preakness, going six furlongs in 1:14 4/5 over the Belmont training track. While Garrett Gomez was aboard for the work, Pletcher had said that the barn’s go to rider John Velazquez would ride. But on Monday when Pletcher announced that there was a strong chance that Circular Quay, sixth in the Derby would run, he backed off the Velazquez assignment and said he would decide Tuesday night.
Another fresh face that figures to take some action is C P West from the Nick Zito barn who’ll have Edgar Prado in the saddle. Those connections alone will account for some mutual window attention, but the horse himself has shown some promise in a short, five race career as well.
After breaking his maiden at first asking and finishing second in the G2 Futurity at Belmont in his second start, Zito ran this son of Came Home in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile where he finished sixth, beaten over 22 lengths after encountering some trouble early on. Zito, who didn’t have a starter in this year’s Derby, thought enough of C P West to consider him one of his top threats this year but was unable to get him ready in time for the Derby.
Actually, he didn’t even make his seasonal debut until March 31st when he just missed in an entry level allowance contest at Gulfstream on Florida Derby day while making his first start in nearly five months. He followed that effort up with a solid second behind the undefeated Divine Park in the G3 Withers at Aqueduct as the 9-5 favorite. He’s worked a solid half mile since and is scheduled to have his final work on Monday.
One horse who did have enough earnings to run in the Derby but didn’t was Xchanger. He would have had he been sold Derby week but when the deal fell true, trainer Mark Shuman began getting him ready for this. Last season, Xchanger won two of five starts and finished third in a pair of G3 events, the Nashua at Aqueduct and the $1 million Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs.
After two poor efforts at Oaklawn in the Southwest and G3 Rebel at the start of this season, Xchanger wired five other foes in the Federico Tesio last out at Pimlico, giving him the distinction of being the only Preakness starter to have a race over the course, let alone a win. Ramon Dominguez will ride unless Chelokee runs. He completed his serious preparations Saturday, going five furlongs in a sharp :59 2/5 at Fair Hill Training Center.
Another trainer that’s won a few of these Triple Crown races that didn’t have a runner in this years Derby is a guy you may have heard of named D Wayne Lukas, who’ll send out First Class Flying. After racing just once as a two year old back in September of last season, First Class Flying returned to the races in mid-February at Oaklawn and promptly made his presence felt with an eye popping maiden win at six furlongs in 1:09 4/5.
Lukas threw this son of little known sire Perfect Mandate to the wolves by running him back in both the Rebel and Arkansas Derby, where he was beaten a combined 25 lengths. Undaunted, Lukas ran him back in the Derby Trial on opening day at Churchill and First Class Flying rolled to an easy 3 ¾ length win under new rider Mark Guidry, who has the call in the Preakness. Training extremely well since, with a five furlong bullet at Churchill the highlight of his morning moves thus far, he’ll work once more this week.
Finally, what would the Preakness be without some local flair? This year, that portion of the program will be provided by the Bob Bailes trained Mint Slewlep. After winning just once in four tries as a two year old, he was fifth in his seasonal debut in the Gotham then won an allowance race at Laurel by over four lengths. Last out, he rallied from last to finish fourth in the Withers. Alan Garcia will ride this Saturday.
