Social Inclusion will van to Pimlico; no Preakness decision yet for Ring Weekend
Social Inclusion will van to Pimlico; no Preakness decision
yet for Ring Weekend
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Social Inclusion has recovered sufficiently from the bruise in his right front foot that had kept him out of a Gulfstream Park stakes last Saturday to board a Pimlico-bound van Wednesday morning. "We're leaving tomorrow morning around 10 (EDT) and get there early Thursday morning," Rontos Racing Stable Corp.'s Ron Sanchez said. "He'll jog tomorrow before he leaves." After making a belated career debut on February 22, Social Inclusion won his first two races by a combined 17 1/2 lengths at Gulfstream Park before finishing third in the TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 5. The Manny Azpurua-trained colt lacked the necessary point total to make the Kentucky Derby field. From the first crop of Pioneerof the Nile, Social Inclusion will enter the middle leg of the Triple Crown off a 42-day freshening.
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Trainer Graham Motion said Tuesday morning that he will closely monitor the
training of Ring Weekend this week before deciding his status for the Preakness.
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"I think it's going to depend on what kind of week he has and how he breezes on Saturday," Motion said. Ring Weekend galloped 1 1/2 miles Tuesday morning at Fair Hill Training Center, Motion's home base in Elkton, Maryland. The son of Tapit had been pointing for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill, only to be declared out of the first jewel of the Triple Crown on April 27 due to a fever. "He had the fever for only two days, but it did cost him three or four days of training," Motion said. "Obviously, everything would have to go very well in order to do it (run in the Preakness). He can't afford to have a bump in the road." Motion reported that Alan Garcia would be the choice to ride Ring Weekend, the Tampa Bay Derby winner, should he run.
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In other Preakness news:
Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome walked for 30
minutes at Barn 20 at Churchill Downs with exercise rider Willie Delgado on the
shank.
The celebration of the colt's 1 3/4-length victory has not dimmed yet for his
connections.
"I keep my California Chrome hat on and everywhere we go people are
congratulating us," Delgado said. "Every time I watch a replay of the race, I
still get goose bumps. It has not set in yet what he did. It's unbelievable."
Owned by breeders Steven Coburn and Perry Martin, California Chrome is scheduled
to return to the track Wednesday morning around 7 o'clock for a jog.
Alan Sherman, son of trainer Art Sherman, is overseeing California Chrome's
Preakness preparations in Louisville, Kentucky before the colt heads to Baltimore next
Monday or Wednesday.
"They are doing maintenance on the plane and it is a question of when it will be
ready," said Alan Sherman, whose shirt was sporting a new tear compliments of
the Derby winner's teeth.
The Shermans maintain a stable of 16-17 horses at Los Alamitos, but for Alan,
being with one horse is no vacation.
"The last time I had only one horse was when we brought Ultra Blend here for the
Breeders' Cup in 2011," Alan Sherman said of the filly that finished fourth to
Royal Delta in the Ladies' Classic. "I was here about a week and a half.
This is a little more stressful, but a good kind of stress. I wouldn't want it
any other way."
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Kid Cruz, the decisive winner of the Federico Tesio on April 19 at Pimlico, will have an easy breeze this weekend at Belmont Park, his final timed worked before the Preakness. Trainer Linda Rice said Tuesday that she has not decided who will ride the Lemon Drop Kid colt in the Preakness or when he will be shipped from New York to Baltimore. Maryland-based jockey Julian Pimentel was aboard for Kid Cruz's victories in the Private Terms at Laurel Race Course March 8 and the Tesio. Kid Cruz took the 1 1/8-mile Private Terms by four lengths and the 1 1/16-mile Tesio by 3 1/2 lengths. "He made a last-to-first move in the first one and then had a nice closing kick in the second one," Rice said. "It doesn't look like he's going to have any trouble with the distance of the Preakness and I believe that the Belmont would suit him just fine as well." Kid Cruz was named after New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz. Illinois Derby winner Dynamic Impact galloped 1 1/2 miles Tuesday morning over a fast track before the renovation break at Churchill Downs with exercise rider Marco Cano aboard for trainer Mark Casse. The colt will bring a two-race win streak to Pimlico, having broken his maiden at Oaklawn Park prior to his Illinois Derby victory.
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"We have to give credit to David Adams and the crew that had him at Oaklawn this
winter," assistant trainer Norman Casse said. "We had him here last summer and
fall. He was highly regarded, but just not winning. He got to Oaklawn, he had
matured and something just clicked."
Ride On Curlin walked the shedrow at Churchill Downs for 30 minutes with trainer
Billy Gowan handling the first half of the activity and groom Bridget Lambert
the remainder as Gowan accompanied another horse to the track.
Gowan's phone was plenty busy Monday when the news broke he was replacing Calvin
Borel following the colt's seventh-place finish
in the Kentucky Derby.
"I had a lot of agents call," said Gowan, who chose Joel Rosario to pilot Ride
On Curlin in the Preakness. "I thought he would be the best choice. He never has
ridden for me and I don't even know him, but he is the top rider in the country
right now."
Ride On Curlin is scheduled to return to the track Wednesday morning with an
easy mile gallop slated as the day's activity.
Blue Grass third-placer Pablo Del
Monte, who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby to wait for the Preakness, is
scheduled to fly to Baltimore next Wednesday (May 14).
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