Preakness News & Notes: Pletcher ‘Amazed’ at Always Dreaming’s Post-Derby Condition

By David Joseph —-

Kentucky Derby Winner Set to Arrive at Pimlico Tuesday Morning
Casse Planning on Preakness Start for Classic Empire
Hence Likely to Join Lookin At Lee in Middle Jewel of Triple Crown
Gunnevera ‘50-50’ for Preakness; Multiplier, Senior Investment Breeze

Jockey John Velazquez pumps his fist as he wins the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby May 6, 2017 in Louisville, Kentucky. Photo by Skip Dickstein

BALTIMORE –Two days after winning his second career Kentucky Derby, trainer Todd Pletcher said he is impressed with how Always Dreaming came out of his 2 3/4-length victory over Lookin At Lee in Saturday’s Run for the Roses.

“So far I’ve been amazed at how well he came out of the race,” said Pletcher at Churchill Downs Monday morning before taking a scheduled flight to New York later in the day. “His energy level is great. He walked the shedrow with a purpose this morning, ate all his dinner last night. Really, really pleased with the way he’s come out of it so far.”

Always Dreaming will leave Churchill Downs between 6 and 6:30 a.m. Tuesday for a short van ride to Louisville International Airport for a Tex Sutton Forwarding Company equine flight to Baltimore for the May 20 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico. The flight is expected to land at BWI at 9:30 a.m. The son of Bodemeister is expected to arrive at Pimlico in late morning. Pletcher is scheduled to arrive at the historic home of the Preakness Wednesday.

After speaking with owner Oussama Aboughazale Monday morning, Pletcher officially ruled out a Preakness run for Oaklawn Park’s Rebel winner Malagacy.

Pletcher figures to be well-represented in other stakes May 19-20 at Pimlico. Moana is to fly with Always Dreaming to Baltimore for the May 19 Black-Eyed Susan (G2). Coming from Belmont Park will be Hedge Fund for the Sir Barton, Clipthecouponannie for the Skipat, possibly MadefromLucky for the Pimlico Special and Bode’s Dream and/or Nonna Bella for the Miss Preakness.

“It’s a great weekend of racing, some very high-quality races,” Pletcher said. “We look forward to bringing in some contenders for some of them, hopefully. I don’t know how many horses or exactly when I’m going to ship everyone in. But it will be a relatively quiet time for us in some ways because we won’t have that many horses there. I think in situations like that, when you have one really big event coming up, it’s nice to have some other stuff to do to keep you from just sitting around and worrying about one race.”

Casse Planning on Preakness Start for Classic Empire.

Trainer Mark Casse said Classic Empire’s right eye is “100 percent better” and, while the barn will closely monitor any trauma to the eye, “we’re going to start planning our trip to Pimlico.”

Classic Empire, last year’s 2-year-old champion who won the Arkansas Derby, had an extremely troubled trip during his Kentucky Derby fourth-place finish that included bobbling at the start and then being “hammered off stride,” as described in the official Equibase chart footnotes. Classic Empire, who came out of the race with an inflammation in his right eye, and jockey Julien Leparoux found themselves more than 10 lengths off the pace, when the plan was to be up close.

“I watched the replay a couple of times yesterday,” Casse said. “Initially I had blamed McCraken. And it probably was more Irish War Cry than McCraken. McCraken is who got us. Honestly, I think our horse probably got more respect out of that performance (from) anyone who really watched the race, because he overcame a lot just to finish fourth. I’m proud of him, and look forward to trying Always Dreaming again.

“Classic Empire is very fast. Our intentions were to be up laying close to the pace. In fact, I told Julien that I’d love to be able to get up and get over. Because I thought there was definitely an advantage to being inside. And 100 yards out of the gate, it was pretty well over, I thought. Now I do have to tell you that we did get a little bit excited about the half-mile pole, because he did start with a run. But the first part of the race was like, ‘Oh boy.’

“And then (Sunday) Classic Empire could hardly open his eye. I don’t know when that occurred, whether with all the bumping. First thing Julien said to me was, ‘I don’t know how we didn’t go down.’ He said he really got hit hard. Anybody who has ever had the wind knocked out of him, you have to wonder about that as well.’ He has about four or five abrasions on his right front — one was pretty close to needing stitches. He’s a warrior. But it already looks better today. I’d say we’re 90 percent to go. Obviously we need to see how he continues to recover. Eyes can be really scary. Ask Todd with (the one-eyed) Patch. We’re going to monitor that hourly, and as long as that goes OK, I’d love to run back in the Preakness.”

Casse said he’s still sorting out travel plans, including whether to fly or van Classic Empire and some stablemates headed to undercard stakes. He indicated they won’t ship until next week. While he’s still working on what horses to bring, Casse said he is “flirting with” running World Approval in the Dixie on turf, Victory to Victory in the Hilltop “and a few others.”

Hence Likely to Join Lookin At Lee in Middle Jewel of Triple Crown

Trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday morning at Churchill Downs he is “expecting to go” to the Preakness with Derby runner-up Lookin At Lee, as well as terming Derby 11th-place finisher Hence as a “probable” candidate.

Lookin At Lee closed from far back with a rail rally to finish five lengths ahead of third-place finisher Battle of Midway.

“I’m just very happy with the way he came out of the race. We’ll give him another day off, just walk the shed, and we’ll go to the track on our normal schedule,” Asmussen said. “He’ll probably have one easy half [half-mile workout] before we head up there.”

Lookin At Lee is expected to fly out Wednesday, May 17, the last equine flight before the Preakness.
Hence was never a factor after a troubled start and subsequent traffic in the Derby. Before the Derby, Asmussen had said that spacing of races appeared to be a key for Hence, who puts a lot into his daily training. Hence rebounded from his seventh-place finish in Oaklawn Park’s Southwest to win the Sunland Derby in impressive fashion five weeks later, which gave the Street Boss colt six weeks before the Kentucky Derby.

“He came out of the race really well. He didn’t run hard enough to be tired, I know that,” Asmussen said of the Derby and its two-week spacing with the Preakness. “It’s not necessarily ideal, but if he didn’t run hard, [more time] wouldn’t be as required.

“He was pretty overwhelmed, I think, just by the kickback and stuff. He never leveled off, definitely came out of it feeling good. So I don’t think he ran hard. Off a hard race, spacing is required. But off an easy one, it’s more like a work.”

Gunnevera ‘50-50’ for Preakness; Multiplier, Senior Investment Breeze

Trainer Antonio Sano called it “50-50” that Peacock Racing Stables’ Kentucky Derby seventh-place finisher Gunnevera will run in the Preakness, with the other option being training up to the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. Sano clearly is agonizing over the decision, saying he wants to go in the race that gives the Dialed In colt the best chance of winning, while also trying to have a horse for the big 3-year-old races later in the season. His concern about the Preakness is that running back in two weeks might knock Gunnevera out of races later in the summer such as Monmouth Park’s Haskell Invitational or Saratoga’s Travers Stakes.

“It’s not easy,” he said. “It’s such a complicated decision for the horse…. I need the horse for a long time.”

Gunnevera is scheduled to resume training Tuesday, probably after the mid-morning renovation break. If he runs in the Preakness, Gunnevera will van to Baltimore from Churchill Downs early next week, Sano said.

Trainer Brendan Walsh termed American Equistock’s Multiplier “a strong possibility” for the Preakness after the Illinois Derby winner worked an easy half-mile in 50 3/5 seconds when the track opened for training at Keeneland Monday Walsh was in the saddle for the move. The Keeneland clockers caught Multiplier galloping out the five furlongs in 1:03 3/5 after breezing in company with Golden Domer.

“We worked fine for him,” Walsh said by phone. “He’s not a great work horse, but he worked good and we’re happy with him. We are pointing there (the Preakness) right now, I think. If everything is well in the next week or so, there’s a strong possibility we will run.”

The work was the first for Multiplier since he won the Grade 3 Illinois Derby April 22 by a head over Hedge Fund, covering 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 4/5 seconds.

Walsh said the work showed “just that he’s in good order and in good terms with himself after the run in Illinois. He’s not a spectacular worker. He does what he needs to do and that’s it. He’s moving well and it seems like he’s in a good mindset. So it’s all systems go.”

Walsh said Multiplier could work again Sunday and probably ship to Pimlico “around the middle of next week. He wouldn’t need a lot of time there. He’s as laid-back as they come.”

Preakness candidate Senior Investment worked five-eighths of a mile in 1:00 2/5 under exercise rider Danny Ramsey after the mid-morning renovation break Monday at Keeneland. It was the fastest of 18 works at the distance, with the clockers getting a gallop-out time of 1:13 4/5 for the six furlongs.
“He worked super,” trainer Kenny McPeek said by phone. “He’s pretty consistent. We didn’t do anything special, but he’s on his game right now. We’re going to work him again next Sunday and then work on travel plans. “It was a maintenance breeze. I told (Ramsey) to break him off, sit still and let him do his own thing down the lane. He pretty much hit 12s (per eighth-mile) the whole way.”
The Lexington (G3) winner will remain at Keeneland until flying to Baltimore, McPeek said. Channing Hill has the mount.

Royal Mo, the Santa Anita Derby third-place finisher excluded from the Kentucky Derby because of the points-system tiebreaker used to determine the 20th horse to get in the field, had a walk day after working five-eighths of mile in 1:05 Sunday at Churchill Downs. He is scheduled to fly to Baltimore Tuesday morning.

Other Preakness candidates include Conquest Mo Money, who has been supplemented to the Preakness, and Cloud Computing.

About Pimlico Race Course

Historic Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness® Stakes, the middle jewel in horse racing’s famed Triple Crown, first opened its doors on October 25, 1870, and is the second oldest racetrack in the United States. Pimlico has played host to racing icons and Baltimoreans have seen the likes of legendary horses such as Man o’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Affirmed and Cigar thunder down the stretch in thrilling and memorable competition. For more information on Pimlico, visit www.pimlico.com.
Pimlico Race Course is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.