Trainer Vitali has two for Preakness undercard

"He's doing excellent. He just worked a good half-mile and he's coming into

the race good," Vitali said. "I thought I'd give them all a little breather.

They had a hard campaign. We're getting ready for the summer and we actually

backed off everything for a while."

Lochte won the Gulfstream Park Turf H. (G1) and was second in the Frank E.

Kilroe Mile (G1) at Santa Anita in 2014. After returning to South Florida, he

captured The Vid S. in September and the Tampa Bay (G3) in January.

"I'm expecting a great race out of him. I think it's suited for him," Vitali

said. "We actually waited for this race and kind of pointed in that direction.

So far, so good. If he stays healthy from now until then, we'll be there."

Bluegrass Singer has also made five starts this year, returning from nearly

two months off to take the $75,000 Parx Derby May 2. It was the second career

stakes win for the gelding following the Mucho Macho Man, formerly the

Gulfstream Park Derby, January 3.

"It was a confidence booster for him. That was the plan," Vitali said. "We

were going to go over for the Parx Derby. It was a little more distance than he

likes, but I thought the company might have been a little easier. We let him go

a mile and 70 yards in preparation for the Murphy."

The one-mile Murphy will be the second time on turf for Bluegrass Singer, who

was second by 2 1/2 lengths in an allowance October 22 at Gulfstream Park West

in his only other try on grass.

Bluegrass Singer was third in the Holy Bull (G2), sixth in the Fountain of

Youth (G2) and fourth in the Swale (G2), all at Gulfstream, before his short

vacation.

"I gave him a little bit of time off, too, but I wanted to get one race into

him because he's a younger horse," Vitali said. "I ran him on the turf back at

(Gulfstream Park West) and I think he had a lot of potential. He's just a good

horse. Good horses, if they're right and happy, they run. I feel the Murphy will

be a great spot for him."

Based at Monmouth Park for the summer, Vitali said his horses should arrive

at Pimlico by next Wednesday. Last year Vitali sent out Allstar (Flower Alley)

to a fourth-place finish in the Murphy.

"They should get there three or four days ahead of time so they can train up

there and get a look at the track," Vitali said. "(Bluegrass Singer) is a much

better horse (than Allstar), I believe. I think we're going to see a lot more

from him this year, as long as he stays healthy."

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