Derby also-rans exit Churchill, connections pondering Preakness

Derby also-rans exit Churchill, connections pondering

Preakness

Dullahan, who just failed to reach Bodemeister when finishing a neck behind

in third in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, is on the fence to run in the second

jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 12.

Trainer Dale Romans said his Even the Score colt, who was fanned seven-wide

into the stretch before his fast-closing rally, "came back good."

Romans said he had yet to talk with Donegal Racing, Dullahan's ownership

group, regarding the Preakness in less than two weeks.

"Not at all," he said. "We won't even talk about it for a couple more days.

Gotta get over this hangover first."

Dr. Kendall Hansen and Skychai Racing LLC's Hansen, howerver, is likely

headed to Baltimore after his ninth-place finish in Kentucky Derby 138.

"We'll try the Preakness and give it one more shot," Dr. Hansen said.

Hansen was vanned back to trainer Mike Maker's Trackside Training Center base

at 8 a.m. (EST) Sunday morning and will stay there through the middle of next

week.

"We like to keep him here at his home base," Hansen said.

After the race, Hansen, the owner, said Hansen, the horse, was in fine shape

but not his usual self.

"He came out of the race perfect," Hansen said of the nearly white Tapit

colt. "He had his head down, he was a little embarrassed. He's usually pretty

hyper after a race but last night he was calm, almost like he was embarrassed.

He had a bad start, got pinched back and had nowhere to go the first time

through the stretch. That took a lot of him. He got a lot of dirt kicked in his

face."

Trainer Steve Asmussen said both of his Kentucky Derby 138 runners -- Daddy

Nose Best and Sabercat -- were doing "fine" the morning after their respective

10th and 15th-place runs in the race. The conditioner declined to say whether

either horse might be under consideration for the Preakness.

Optimizer came out of his 11th-place effort in Derby 138 in good order

according to trainer D. Wayne Lukas and remains under consideration for the

Preakness.

"I will talk with Mr. (Brad) Kelley, but yes, there is a chance he could go

to Baltimore," Lukas said.

Derby fifth-placer Creative Cause was scheduled for an 11 a.m. flight back to

his Southern California base Sunday morning. In all, Southern California-based

horses accounted for four of the top six spots in Derby 138.

"He came out of the race fine," said John Cisneros, exercise rider and

assistant trainer for conditioner Mike Harrington. "I thought he would be quiet

this morning, but I had to put a lip chain on him to walk him around the barn."

Immediate plans for Creative Cause were uncertain, Cisneros said.

"We will take him back home and see how he trains and talk it over with

(owner) Mr. (Heinz) Steinmann and see what he wants to do," Cisneros said.

Rousing Sermon, eighth in the Kentucky Derby, exited the race in good order

according to Christina Jelm, assistant to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

"He came out of the race really well. He is very happy this morning," Jelm

said. "He is going to go back to California today."

Hollendorfer flew back to California on an early Sunday flight.

Alpha was shipped back to Belmont Park Sunday and is off the Triple Crown

trail after a 12th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin

said the Bernardini colt came out of the race in good shape.

Alpha was uncomfortable in the paddock in the sweltering temperatures and

McLaughlin said that probably had an impact on how he ran.

"It was a hot, very difficult day," McLaughlin said. "We'll live to fight

another day. It was tough, tough day on all horses. It was very hot and he

didn't handle it well."

Done Talking was loaded on a van shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday morning for the

ride back to his home base at Laurel in Maryland. Trainer Hamilton Smith

indicated that the Broken Vow colt would bypass the Preakness following his

14th-place run in the Derby.

"He's perfect this morning; came out of the race real good," exercise rider

Bobo Brigmon said.

Shivananda Parbhoo's Trinniberg was doing well Sunday morning after finishing

17th in the Kentucky Derby. Trinniberg closely stalked the rapid pace set by

Bodemeister to the top of the stretch before tiring during the final

quarter-mile.

"I think he ran a good race. He ran as much as he could run," said Parbhoo,

who reported that the Teuflesberg colt would go back to sprinting.

Trinniberg, who will be shipped by van to Calder Race Course in South Florida

early Monday morning, will be pointed toward the Grade 2, seven-furlong Woody

Stephens on the June 9 Belmont Stakes undercard.

Trainer Todd Pletcher reported Sunday morning that his Derby runners --

13th-placer El Padrino and 16th-placer Gemologist -- exited Kentucky Derby 138

in good order.

Gemologist is scheduled to be given "a week's vacation" at WinStar Farm near

Versailles, Kentucky, after suffering his first career loss in six starts. El

Padrino will be shipped to New York on Sunday.

"At this point, I'd say both of them would be unlikely for the Preakness,"

Pletcher remarked before saying neither of his starters encountered any real

trouble in their trips on Saturday. "Gemologist broke really well. He was

probably a touch keen early and settled into a good position early. El Padrino

broke poorly. He had a clean trip. He was just way back and made some progress

along the way."

The well-traveled Daddy Long Legs started his journey back to Ireland at 7:30

a.m. Sunday when he was loaded on a van outside the quarantine barn. The

Coolmore colorbearer was flying to Chicago and then on to Europe.

The Group 2 UAE Derby winner was in contention early in Saturday's Kentucky

Derby after starting from the inside post position but didn't respond when asked

for more approaching the second turn, slowed, was eased and finished last. The

chestnut colt showed some symptoms of being affected by the heat Saturday, but

trainer Aidan O'Brien's traveling head lad T.J. Comerford said the son of Scat

Daddy was OK on Sunday.

"I don't know what it was. Maybe the whole thing got to him," Comerford

remarked. "He broke well, got away, had a lovely position. It didn't work out

for him, that's all. It's one of those things. He's fine. Bright as a button."

Comerford said he didn't know where the colt might run next, but noted that

he has done well on turf and synthetic surfaces but had not performed as well in

two tries on the dirt at Churchill Downs.

"We'll just have to pick up the piece and go again with him," Comerford said.