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Hemingway's Key works Sunday; Diabolical possible for
Preakness
Allowance winner HEMINGWAY'S KEY (Notebook) worked five panels on Saratoga's
fast training track in 1:00 1/5 Sunday to prepare for his run in next Saturday's
Preakness S. (G1) at Pimlico.
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Barbaro will probably not work before the Preakness
(Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com) |
"He's a horse that we always thought had the potential," trainer Nick Zito
said. "He won his first two starts, then had kind of a mixed-up winter. I didn't
have the right conditions for him. I didn't have the right spots. He showed some
life, believe it or not, in the Fountain of Youth (G2). He was only beaten 7 1/2
lengths. He had some trouble in the Lane's End (G2), then we thought he'd run
great in the Lexington (G2), and it was kind of a weird race."Hemingway's Key, who didn't run in the Kentucky Derby (G1), already faced the
winner of that race when finishing 11th to BARBARO (Dynaformer) in the Holy Bull
S. (G3) in early February.
"I know he's a true distance horse," Zito said. "I think if he has a good
Preakness, then he could go on to the Belmont (G1). He's much better than he's been
showing. Barbaro obviously looks sensational off his last race, so we're just
gonna try."
Hemingway's Key will van to Pimlico from Saratoga on Wednesday, along with
Zito's other Preakness weekend runners.
Trainer Steve Klesaris threw his hat into the Preakness ring on Sunday by
saying that DIABOLICAL (Artax) could contest the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. The
chestnut sophomore most recently captured an allowance at Delaware Park by 8 1/4
lengths and recorded his best stakes finish to date when second by a half-length
in the Spectacular Bid S. two back.
"It's a shorter field and the (1 3/16 mile) distance is a little shorter
(than the Kentucky Derby)," Klesaris explained. "We still haven't made a
decision to run, but it is under high consideration."
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Diabolical is stabled in a barn next to Barbaro's at Fair Hill Training
Center, but is already familiar with his Preakness rival, running second by
eight lengths to him when the two contested the grassy Laurel Futurity S. last
November.
"I know this is a good group of colts," Klesaris said. "We just want to
figure out if (the Preakness) is open for us to get a piece."
Ramon Dominguez, who was aboard Kentucky Derby runner-up Bluegrass Cat (Storm
Cat), will have the call on Diabolical if he goes in the Preakness.
Trainer Michael Matz said that Barbaro jogged Sunday morning "in the nice,
peaceful, calm and relaxing" surroundings at Fair Hill.
"It's something that they can't take away from him," Matz said of his
charge's Derby win. "He'll always be the Kentucky Derby winner. We'll just try
to get through this one, and go from there."
Matz added that no definite plans have been made on Barbaro's shipping to
Pimlico, saying they could go over on race day.
BROTHER DEREK (Benchmark) continued his light training, jogging 1 1/2 miles
under exercise rider Nick Esler. The multiple Grade 1-winning bay colt is
scheduled to gallop Monday morning but had his travel plans changed from flying
out on Tuesday to leaving on Wednesday.
"He's feeling really good and has kind of got back underneath himself,"
trainer Dan Hendricks said from California. "We're ready to go."
Brother Derek has been staying in conditioner Wally Dollase's barn at
Churchill Downs.
"They're almost like family," Hendricks said. "(Wally's) been calling me two
or three times a day. I just told him, 'Don't get too attached to him.'"
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Sweetnorthernsaint ran seventh as the favorite in the Derby
(Jim Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com) |
SWEETNORTHERNSAINT (Sweetsouthernsaint), who ran seventh in the Derby, will
jog and gallop up to the Preakness, according to trainer Mike Trombetta. The
dark bay gelding, who captured the Illinois Derby (G2) by 9 1/4 lengths before
his Churchill run, is already at Pimlico.Gotham S. (G3) hero LIKE NOW (Jules) could ship to Baltimore on either
Thursday or Friday, according to conditioner Kiaran McLaughlin, but no plans
have been finalized. The bay colt galloped 1 3/8 miles on Sunday morning under
exercise rider Barry Downs.
BERNARDINI (A.P. Indy), who captured the Withers S. (G3) last out in just his
third career start, also galloped Sunday, getting 1 1/2 miles at Belmont.
"It's going to be another step up for him, but we have a lot of confidence in
him," trainer Tom Albertrani said. "He's lightly raced and we know it's a big
step up, but the manner in which he won the Withers has given us a lot of
confidence for this race."
Albertrani added that Bernardini would breeze five furlongs either Tuesday or
Wednesday and ship to Pimlico Friday afternoon.
AH DAY (Malibu Moon) walked the shedrow a day after a bullet work at Laurel
Park. Trainer King Leatherbury said he would wait a few days before making a decision
on whether to send the Federico Tesio S. winner to the Preakness or the Sir
Barton S. on the same day.
"That's the thing that makes the decision on the Preakness so hard,"
Leatherbury explained. "I'd have to forfeit a stake where I would be one of the
favorites."
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Ah Day wasn't nominated to the Triple Crown races, so his owners will have to
come up with $100,000 to supplement him to the Preakness.
The second leg of the Triple Crown races will be missing one runner in stakes
winner LEWIS MICHAEL (Rahy), who trainer Wayne Catalano said will go instead to
the Peter Pan S. (G2) at Belmont Park on Preakness day before trying the Belmont
S. (G1) on June 10.
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