1 of 2 | Muth (jockey in red cap), shown winning the Arkansas Derby, is expected to head up trainer Bob Baffert’s two runners in the May 18 Preakness Stakes, second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown. Coady Photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park
May 10 (UPI) — Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan remains a “maybe” for the second leg of the Triple Crown, the May 18 Preakness Stakes, as trainer Kenny McPeek said there’s no reason for him to hurry a decision.
“I don’t have any reluctance. I just don’t have to make a decision yet,” McPeek said on a media call Thursday hosted by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
“There’s no reason to think we have to commit now … You just want to get through the weekend and make sure he’s in good shape.”
Two of McPeek’s rivals in the Preakness backed up that thinking while appearing in the same forum.
“It takes a week to decide if you’re going to run,” said Bob Baffert, who has won the Preakness seven times and is set to saddle Muth and Imagination in Saturday’s renewal. “Let the dust settle and then you realize, ‘This is a very important race, an historical race to win as a 3-year-old.'”
D. Wayne Lukas, who has six Preakness victories to his credit and starts Real Steel and Seize the Grey this year, also agreed.
“You can’t just make a statement and say I’m going to go back in there. You have to look at what you’ve got to train before you go back in there,” Lukas said.
Lukas then asked if McPeek had made his decision yet and, told he had not, he took a friendly shot:
“Tell him to make a decision about Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. We’re going to draw the race Monday!” Lukas said.
The Triple Crown Trail
With most of the Derby also-rans bailing out of the Preakness and new talent expected in, it’s time to look at some other key 3-year-old races as potential keys to an eventual divisional champ. Why not start with Saturday’s $200,000 Grade III Peter Pan at Aqueduct and $100,000 Long Branch at Monmouth Park?
The Peter Pan is chockablock with Triple Crown nominees who ran almost well enough to make it to the Kentucky Derby including the likes of The Wine Steward, Tuscan Gold and Deterministic. Several others could move forward here.
The Long Branch has some less-likely types but still bears watching. Sunday’s $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita is 7 furlongs with only four participants.
Distaff
Sunday’s $100,000 Serena’s Song Stakes at Monmouth Park drew a well-matched field of eight, many of them having repeatedly knocked on the door in other venues.
Sprint
Grade III Maryland Sprint Stakes winner Straight No Chaser and recent Aqueduct allowance winner Joey Freshwater are the morning-line favorites among six entered for Saturday’s $175,000 Grade III Runhappy Stakes at Aqueduct
Turf
The Godolphin invasion of American turf continues with Nation’s Pride in Saturday’s $400,000 Grade II Man o’ War at Aqueduct.
The 5-year-old won both the Grade I Saratoga Derby Invitational and the Grade III Jockey Club Derby Invitational in 2022 before finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Godolphin also has Silver Knott, who has been based in America since finishing up the course in last year’s British 2,000 Guineas and comes off a win in the Grade II Elkhorn at Keeneland’s spring meeting.
Filly & Mare Turf
Saturday’s $175,000 Beaugay Stakes at Aqueduct has five entries plus three for “main track only” so look to the sky for omens. The forecast is iffy.
Saturday’s $100,000 Santa Barbara Stakes at Santa Anita has a field of seven, three from the Phil D’Amato barn. That trio includes the morning-line favorite, Musical Rhapsody.
Turf Sprint
Sunday’s $175,000 Grade III Soaring Softly Stakes at Aqueduct has a full field of 3-year-old fillies with four on the also-eligible list.
Juvenile Turf
Gulfstream Park’s Saturday’s program has a matched set of $120,000, 5-furlongs turf sprints for the 2-year-olds. The Royal Palm Juvenile is open and the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies is for … well, obviously …
Around the world, around the clock
England
Wednesday’s Group 3 Chester Vase went from triumph to tragedy in one post-race stride as Godolphin’s Hidden Law won impressively, then fatally broke down just past the finish.
The Dubawi colt, out of the Galileo mare Secret Gesture, scored his second win with a compelling move from behind the leaders before the mishap. But for the accident, he likely would have been at or near the top of the Derby wagering.
Two Coolmore runners — Agenda and the race favorite, Grosvener Square — finished second and third.
In a finish reminiscent of the “band of fairies” chorus from Gilbert and Sullivan’s marvelous operetta “Iolanthe”, Forest Fairy just got a nose in front of Port Fairy in the final strides of the Group 3 Chester Vase. The favorite, Galileo Dame, finished fourth, never reaching contention.
Another potential Derby prospect emerged for trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore as Capulet led gate to wire in Thursday’s Dee Stakes at Chester. The Justify colt beat only three rivals after Harper’s Ferry was withdrawn at the gate.
Saturday’s action is at Lingfield with Derby trials for both colts and fillies. O’Brien has Illinois, a Galileo colt, and The Euphrates, by Frankel, among the favorites pending final declarations.
The Euphrates was bred by Bobby Flay. Danielle tops the antepost pondering about the Oaks with the Coolmore legions offering Rubies are Red as a long shot.
France
Both divisions of Sunday’s French Guineas at Longchamp have big and competitive fields and should be fun to watch.
Japan
Namur looks like a formidable contender in Sunday’s Grade 1 Victoria Mile for fillies and mares at Tokyo Racecourse, a “Win and You’re In” for the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
The 5-year-old Harbinger mare exits a runner-up finish in the Group 1 Dubai Turf at 1,800 meters on World Cup night. Prior to that, she was third in December’s Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile and won the Group 1 Mile Championship in November at Kyoto.
