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Recapturetheglory, Racecar Rhapsody added to Preakness mix
Recapturetheglory will leave Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday evening and arrived at Pimlico Saturday morning. E.T. Baird has the riding assignment. Roussel and Lamarque are no strangers to the Preakness. They combined to take the 1988 renewal with Risen Star, a horse who finished third in the Derby two weeks earlier. Trainer Kenny McPeek informed Pimlico Racing Secretary Georganne Hale on Wednesday that Racecar Rhapsody, who finished fourth in the Lexington S. (G2) on April 19 at Keeneland, is headed to the Preakness. "The horse is training really well," McPeek said. "We kind of feel like we might be running for second money with Big Brown being as impressive as he's been, but you never know." Robby Albarado, who has ridden the colt in all six of his career starts, will have the mount as he shoots for his second consecutive Preakness victory. He piloted Curlin (Smart Strike) to victory last year. The Preakness starter list now stands at nine: Big Brown, Recapturetheglory, Racecar Rhapsody, BEHINDATTHEBAR (Forest Wildcat), GIANT MOON (Giant's Causeway), KENTUCKY BEAR (Mr. Greeley), STEVIL (Maria's Mon), TRES BORRACHOS (Ecton Park) and YANKEE BRAVO (Yankee Gentleman). Others still considering Maryland's signature race are: HARLEM ROCKER (Macho Uno), RILEY TUCKER (Harlan's Holiday) and MACHO AGAIN (Macho Uno).
Kent Desormeaux, who has ridden Big Brown to his past three victories, has the call. It will be Desormeaux's 11th mount in the Preakness, which he won in 1998 aboard Real Quiet. Also at Churchill Downs, Tres Borrachos worked five furlongs on a fast track in :59 3/5 under Andy Durnin with trainer Beau Greely looking on from the grandstand. The move was the second-fastest of 30 works at the distance. Tres Borrachos was timed in fractions of :12, :23 2/5, :35 1/5 and :47 1/5. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:14. Greely, who owns the bay gelding in partnership with his brother John Greely IV and Phil Houchens, was happy with the work. "It looked like he didn't get out of a gallop," Greely said. "I had him in :59 and two and out in 1:13. He went beautiful. I will breeze him next Tuesday, probably an easy half, and then ship to Pimlico on Wednesday." Tyler Baze, who rode Tres Borrachos to a third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby (G2), will retain the mount in the Preakness. Wednesday's work was the third at Churchill Downs for Tres Borrachos. His first work after arriving in Louisville on April 14 was a three-eighths move on April 22. "I worked him three-eighths just in case he got in the (Kentucky) Derby," Greely said. "Then it did not look like he would run which, after watching it, it turned out better that he didn't. "I watched the race in California. It was a tough run race. Other horses look like they kind of got bundled up and I was kind of glad I wasn't in there. Then you had Big Brown, who was absolutely amazing. That horse looks like a superstar." Greely is eagerly looking forward to the Preakness challenge. "I think the Preakness will probably suit this horse better than the Derby would have," Greely said. "The turns are a little tighter and it looks like it carries speed, or it has in the past. Hopefully, it will suit him well and it gives him five weeks in between the Arkansas Derby and Preakness." Tres Borrachos would be Greely's second Preakness starter. He saddled Borrego in the 2004 Preakness to a seventh-place finish after running 10th in the Kentucky Derby two weeks earlier. At Belmont Park, multiple stakes winner Giant Moon drilled five furlongs on a fast track in 1:01 under exercise rider Caesar Correa. It ranked sixth of 26 at the distance. "He did exactly what we wanted," trainer Richard Schosberg said. "We're right on schedule. Caesar said he did exactly what we wanted." Ramon Dominguez, who won a pair of riding titles at Pimlico in 2001, has the call on Giant Moon. The bay colt most recently finished fourth in the Wood Memorial (G1) on April 5 at Aqueduct. At 4:28 p.m. (EDT) Wednesday, the first Preakness horse arrived at the Pimlico stakes barn when Kentucky Bear completed his 539-mile trip from Lexington, Kentucky, and was bedded down into Stall 9. The chestnut colt most recently finished third in the Blue Grass S. (G1) on April 12 at Keeneland. The Reade Baker trainee will work at Pimlico on Saturday immediately following the renovation break. "He is very versatile and can do anything," Baker said. "He has natural speed and is not crazy. I think that bodes very for the Preakness." Assistant trainer-exercise rider Cassie Garcia indicated Kentucky Bear will either jog or walk the shedrow Thursday morning. Stevil, who most recently finished fourth in the Blue Grass, galloped a mile on Wednesday at Churchill Downs under Megan Smillie. It was his first day back at the track for the gray colt since working a half-mile in :48 3/5 on Monday. John Velazquez, who made his Preakness riding debut last year when he piloted Circular Quay (Thunder Gulch) to a fifth-place finish, will have the mount on Stevil, according to trainer Nick Zito. "John has ridden for me a lot of times," Zito said. "In fact, he worked Strike the Gold for me at Saratoga when he was a little 18-year-old apprentice." Stevil is scheduled to work again early next week and then ship to Baltimore on Tuesday. Yankee Bravo is scheduled to work at Hollywood Park on Thursday.
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