Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystic Dan is headed to the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1) on May 18, after all.
Five days of carefully checking every move by his Derby winner, from eating up his feed, to body language, jogging, and galloping, led trainer Ken McPeek to this conclusion Thursday: “Everything is going well with him, so we’re headed in the right direction.”
Catching Freedom is also under Preakness consideration
And that direction is Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore for the 1 3/16-mile Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown. McPeek wanted to take his time before making the decision, and as long as Mystic Dan continues to do well, the Derby winner will soon be on his way from Churchill Downs to Pimlico.
McPeek had two-time Preakness-winning jockey Robby Albarado take Mystic Dan for a 1 ½-mile gallop on Thursday, with the retired rider saying: “For him to come back as well as he did, I thought was a feat in itself, the way he got banged around in the Derby. He went good; just stretched his legs a bit today; and switched leads on point.
“He’ll be ready for next Saturday.’’
Albarado, who was aboard McPeek-trained Swiss Skydiver when she won the 2020 Preakness, knows Mystik Dan well. He has ridden him many times in the morning since the 3-year-old son of Goldencents began training and would travel to Baltimore to continue as the exercise rider. Brian Hernandez, Jr., keeps the mount.
“Kenny gave me a call and said, ‘Rob, I need you at Pimlico,’” Albarado said. “Me and Kenny have had a little luck at Pimlico. We’re trying to do this whole Swiss Skydiver thing over again. This will be the only time I’ll be riding him this year, but we got just as good a rider, Brian, on him.”
Tuscan Gold is Preakness bound for Chad Brown
Tuscan Gold will be scratched from the Peter Pan Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct on Saturday and will run next in the Preakness.
The Preakness will be the fourth career start for Tuscan Gold, who finished third in the Louisiana Derby (G2).
“My first instinct was to always run in the Preakness,” Brown said as he’ll seek his third win the race. “At the end of the day, the reward is so much greater if he were to run well in the Preakness going for a much bigger prize.”
Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount.
Catching Freedom under Preakness Stakes Consideration
The Louisiana Derby (G2) winner who finished a closing fourth in the Derby, is now under consideration for the Preakness, said Jason Loutsch, the co-owner and racing manager for Albaugh Family Stables.
Catching Freedom
Ridden by Flavien Prat, the Brad Cox-trainee finished two lengths behind the three-horse photo finish involving Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone, and Forever Young.
Loutsch said the horse will either run the Preakness or the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) on June 9, with the final decision to be made by Cox.
“We’ll make a decision by the weekend. He’s doing well now,’’ Loutsch said. “I’m not opposed to taking a shot in the Preakness, but I’ve got to listen to Brad and the horse and take my heart out of it.”
Lukas switches to Rosario to ride Just Steel
Newly elected to the Hall of Fame, jockey Joel Rosario will be aboard Just Steel in the Preakness, replacing Keith Asmussen, who finished 17th aboard the colt in the Derby.
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas announced the change on a national conference call Thursday, adding Jaime Torres will keep the mount aboard Seize the Grey after guiding him to victory in the Pat Day Mile (G2) on Kentucky Derby Day.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
