Dance City breezes bullet in advance of Preakness

Preakness S. (G1) hopeful DANCE CITY (City Zip), working in company with

Gulfstream Park allowance winner Escort (First Samurai), breezed five furlongs

Sunday over Churchill Downs' good track in 1:00 1/5 with exercise rider Fernando

Espinoza up.

Working after the morning renovation break, Dance City spotted Escort a

half-length at the outset of the work and finished five lengths in front while

producing fractions of :11 4/5, :23 1/5, :34 4/6 and :46 3/5. The Arkansas Derby

(G1) third galloped out six furlongs in 1:14 1/5.

Mike McCarthy, trainer Todd Pletcher's Churchill Downs assistant, waited

until after the renovation break for the work that was the fastest of 20 at the

distance for the morning.

"We waited on purpose because we wanted a harrowed track," McCarthy said of

Dance City's third work at Churchill Downs since the April 16 Arkansas Derby.

McCarthy was with Dance City this winter in South Florida and has been with

the colt for the past four weeks in Louisville, Kentucky.

Working just as the track opened at 6 a.m. (EDT) was SARATOGA RED (Eddington),

a D. Wayne Lukas trainee who would need three defections as of Sunday afternoon to make the Preakness

field.

With Jon Court in the saddle, Saratoga Red worked five furlongs in company in

1:02 4/5 over a track labeled muddy. The move was the 14th fastest of 20 at the

distance.

Saratoga Red, sixth as the favorite in an optional claiming event on May 7

under the Twin Spires, made short work of his morning companion, Manhattan Man

(A.P. Indy), who was timed in 1:06.

Stakes winner KING CONGIE (Badge of Silver) went to the Belmont Park main

track early Sunday morning for his final serious preparation for Saturday's

Preakness.

"He worked 1:04 3/5 around the dogs," said trainer Tom Albertrani, noting

that King Congie was able to breeze on a fast track that later turned muddy. "It

was a nice work and he finished up very nicely."