< Back to 68k.news DK front page

Will any Kentucky Derby horses run in the Preakness Stakes?

Original source (on modern site) | Article images: [1]

Kentucky Derby winning trainer Kenny McPeek took a phone call from Pimlico Racecourse official on Sunday morning at his barn on the backside at Churchill Downs, officially inviting Mystik Dan to the Preakness Stakes.McPeek said he was grateful for the phone call but he was not ready to commit to the May 18 Preakness."We're not committed to the Preakness, not yet," McPeek told the media assembled outside his barn. "I ran him back once in two weeks and it completely backfired on me and we skipped the Rebel because it was back too quick.". . . We're going to let the horse tell us. If I don't think he's right and ready, then we'll just wait for the Belmont."Mystik Dan outlasted Sierra Leone and Forever Young in a thrilling stretch drive under the Twin Spires to capture the 150th Derby. McPeek said the horse showed on Saturday night that he was tired when he left three-quarters of his feed untouched."If he's not in the feed tub, he won't run and he ran hard yesterday, but we will see," he said.If he does run in the Preakness, Mystik Dan might be the only Derby starter in Baltimore. As of Sunday morning, it doesn't appear that any other Derby entry will run in the Preakness.Trainer Chad Brown said runner-up Sierra Leone would ship to Saratoga this week and would train towards the Belmont Stakes. The Belmont is being run this year and next year at Saratoga while Belmont Park is closed for renovation.Third-place finisher Forever Young and fifth-place finisher T O Password are headed back to Japan on Tuesday and will point towards races later in the year, while trainer Brad Cox said he's not certain what's next for fourth-place finisher Catching Freedom or last-place finisher Just A Touch.Trainer Bill Mott said sixth-place finisher Resilience would cut back in distance, while seventh-place finisher Stronghold is headed back to California and would remain there.Honor Marie, who finished eighth, and 10th-place finisher Dornoch are likely to run in the Belmont Stakes, while ninth-place finisher Endlessly will go back to the turf.Trainer Todd Pletcher said he's not sure what would be next for beaten Derby favorite Fierceness. He will likely ship to Saratoga this week and could start in the Belmont.If Mystik Dan does run in the Preakness, it will not be easy.There could be at least eight newcomers waiting for him, including Arkansas Derby winner Muth. The Bob Baffert-trained colt would have been one of the favorite for the Derby but Baffert is banned from running at Churchill Downs.Baffert is also expected to start Santa Anita second-place finisher Imagination.Pat Day Mile winner Sieze the Grey, Illinois Derby winner Patriot Spirit, Louisiana Derby third-place finisher Tuscan Gold, Wood Memorial also-ran Uncle Heavy, Federico Tesio Stakes winner Copper Tax, and Steve Asmussen's Informed Patriot are the others expected to run.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

Kentucky Derby winning trainer Kenny McPeek took a phone call from Pimlico Racecourse official on Sunday morning at his barn on the backside at Churchill Downs, officially inviting Mystik Dan to the Preakness Stakes.

McPeek said he was grateful for the phone call but he was not ready to commit to the May 18 Preakness.

"We're not committed to the Preakness, not yet," McPeek told the media assembled outside his barn. "I ran him back once in two weeks and it completely backfired on me and we skipped the Rebel because it was back too quick.

". . . We're going to let the horse tell us. If I don't think he's right and ready, then we'll just wait for the Belmont."

Mystik Dan outlasted Sierra Leone and Forever Young in a thrilling stretch drive under the Twin Spires to capture the 150th Derby. McPeek said the horse showed on Saturday night that he was tired when he left three-quarters of his feed untouched.

"If he's not in the feed tub, he won't run and he ran hard yesterday, but we will see," he said.

If he does run in the Preakness, Mystik Dan might be the only Derby starter in Baltimore. As of Sunday morning, it doesn't appear that any other Derby entry will run in the Preakness.

Trainer Chad Brown said runner-up Sierra Leone would ship to Saratoga this week and would train towards the Belmont Stakes. The Belmont is being run this year and next year at Saratoga while Belmont Park is closed for renovation.

Third-place finisher Forever Young and fifth-place finisher T O Password are headed back to Japan on Tuesday and will point towards races later in the year, while trainer Brad Cox said he's not certain what's next for fourth-place finisher Catching Freedom or last-place finisher Just A Touch.

Trainer Bill Mott said sixth-place finisher Resilience would cut back in distance, while seventh-place finisher Stronghold is headed back to California and would remain there.

Honor Marie, who finished eighth, and 10th-place finisher Dornoch are likely to run in the Belmont Stakes, while ninth-place finisher Endlessly will go back to the turf.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he's not sure what would be next for beaten Derby favorite Fierceness. He will likely ship to Saratoga this week and could start in the Belmont.

If Mystik Dan does run in the Preakness, it will not be easy.

There could be at least eight newcomers waiting for him, including Arkansas Derby winner Muth. The Bob Baffert-trained colt would have been one of the favorite for the Derby but Baffert is banned from running at Churchill Downs.

Baffert is also expected to start Santa Anita second-place finisher Imagination.

Pat Day Mile winner Sieze the Grey, Illinois Derby winner Patriot Spirit, Louisiana Derby third-place finisher Tuscan Gold, Wood Memorial also-ran Uncle Heavy, Federico Tesio Stakes winner Copper Tax, and Steve Asmussen's Informed Patriot are the others expected to run.

< Back to 68k.news DK front page