Goldencents gallops; Vyjack out of Preakness

Trainer Doug O'Neill stood on the deck outside the press box at Pimlico

around 8:45 (EDT) on a brisk Monday morning to get an overhead view of his Santa

Anita Derby winner going through a spirited mile gallop under jockey Kevin

Krigger.

"I thought he went really well," said O'Neill, who won last year's Preakness

with Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another. "Kevin was kind enough to come

over here after Churchill and get to know him even better -- even though he

knows him so well. Coming down the lane, Goldencents was so comfortable and he

was reaching out great. I just loved what I saw today."

O'Neill had originally planned to give the son of Into Mischief a workout at

Pimlico after his poor performance in the Kentucky Derby (an eased-up 17th), but

on Sunday he decided to use the same training regimen he had with I'll Have

Another and gallop into the race.

"I think he trains as hard as a lot of horses work," said the 44-year-old

Michigan native, who had the only Preakness contender on the grounds as of

Monday morning. "He puts in a good effort every day, so in my mind there's just

no need -- unless we have some weather issues or something like that. The goal

was: if he could gallop comfortably every day, that's what we would do, and so

far, so good."

O'Neill, who sent 12 horses to Pimlico, including Goldencents, shortly after

the Derby, said he doesn't expect part-owner Rick Pitino to be present for the

Preakness, but his son, Richard, is planning to attend. Pitino, who coached

Louisville to the NCAA basketball title in March, owns five percent of

Goldencents with W.C. Racing and Dave Kenney.

Goldencents was the third choice in the wagering in Kentucky off his

impressive victory in the Santa Anita Derby, but he was really not a factor

after the first half-mile or so at Churchill Downs.

"When we got to the three-eighths pole the race changed for him completely,"

said Krigger, who came directly to Pimlico with the colt after the Derby. "He

went from just sitting comfortably to just not giving me the effort that he

usually puts out. When we got to the five-sixteenths pole he just started

regressing more for whatever reason it was, and I just decided, instead of

harassing him and causing him to struggle on the sloppy track, to protect him

and wrap up on him and brought him home."

Last year, I'll Have Another was the target; this year O'Neill comes to

Baltimore as the hunter, seeking to stop Orb's quest to add the middle jewel of

the Triple Crown.

"It was a great feeling last year being the hunted, but a hunter's not bad,"

said the Southern California-based conditioner, whose Triple Crown bid with I'll

Have Another was thwarted by an injury that forced him to scratch the day before

the Belmont Stakes. "Just being here is a real honor, and I give great thanks to

the horse and the owners. This (the Preakness) is just an experience you want to

be part of."

Goldencents has already earned $1.2 million with four victories from seven

starts, and O'Neill is drawing a line through the Derby.

"I think it was kind of a demanding track, and it just wasn't to our liking,"

he said. "I think we're going to see a much better result Saturday."

In other Preakness news:

Itsmyluckyday came out of his half-mile workout at Monmouth Park Sunday

afternoon "100 percent," reported trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. Monday morning.

"He was acting like nothing happened," said Plesa of Itsmyluckyday's behavior

when he checked on his Gulfstream Park Derby and Holy Bull winner Monday.

The son of Lawyer Ron worked between Sunday's third and fourth races at

Monmouth, breezing four furlongs in :47 1/5.

Itsmyluckyday is scheduled to van to Pimlico at 11 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday.

Departing walked the shedrow at Barn 45 at Churchill Downs Monday morning, a

day after working a half-mile in :50 2/5.

Trainer Al Stall Jr. said the Illinois Derby winner came out of the work fine

and is scheduled to return to the track Tuesday morning to gallop a mile. Brian

Hernandez Jr., who has been aboard Departing in all five of his starts, has the

Preakness mount.

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez informed Maryland Jockey Club officials Monday morning

that Vyjack, the 18th-place Derby finisher, will not be entered in the

Preakness.