{"id":4804,"date":"2015-05-14T07:56:39","date_gmt":"2015-05-14T12:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/equestrianinfluence.com\/horsehappenings\/?p=4804"},"modified":"2020-01-14T12:24:04","modified_gmt":"2020-01-14T17:24:04","slug":"five-preakness-entrants-en-route-from-kentucky-to-pimlico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/equestrianinfluence.com\/horsehappenings\/five-preakness-entrants-en-route-from-kentucky-to-pimlico\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Preakness Entrants En Route from Kentucky to Pimlico"},"content":{"rendered":"

BALTIMORE<\/b> \u2013 Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah boarded a plane bound for Baltimore-Washington International Airport following a quiet Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Zayat Stables\u2019 American Pharoah, who is expected to be heavily favored to capture Saturday\u2019s 140th running of the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course, was joined on the flight by stablemate and third-place Derby finisher Dortmund, Derby runner-up Firing Line, Danzig Moon, fifth in the Run for the Roses, and Tale of Verve, who was entered but didn\u2019t draw into the Derby field from the also-eligible list.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Tex Sutton charter bringing the horses to Baltimore originated in California Wednesday morning, leaving Ontario Airport at 4:06 Pacific timewith a scheduled arrival in Louisville of around 10:30 Eastern time. The Preakness entrants are expected to arrive at Pimlico between 2 and 3 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

The draw for post positions for Saturday\u2019s Preakness Stakes is set for 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Sports Palace on the third floor of Pimlico.<\/p>\n

<\/span>A reception at 4 p.m. for horsemen, officials and media members will precede the traditional pill bottle draw, which will be hosted by track announcer Dave Rodman.<\/span><\/p>\n

The event will be streamed live on drf.com.\"635644336516471748-American-Pharoah---THE-ARKANSAS-DERBY-79th-Running-Grade-I---04-11-15---R11---OP---002\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Baffert Awaits Arrivals of American Pharoah, Dortmund<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

For Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Wednesday was a travel day, a details day and a waiting day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Baffert checked out his Preakness horses \u2013 Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah and third-place finisher Dortmund \u2013 at Churchill Downs then headed to the airport to take a Southwest Airlines flight to Baltimore.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people on the plane from Kentucky wished me good luck,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Baffert met with Maryland Jockey Club officials, had lunch and went to the stakes barn to wait for the arrival of assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes and the horses from his stable being shipped to Pimlico for the Preakness and other stakes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow we\u2019re just chilling out here,\u201d he said. \u201cThe horses will be coming and I\u2019m here to help Jimmy out. We\u2019ve got seven of them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Baffert said he was revved up the first few times he brought his Derby winners to Pimlico for the Preakness, but said it is a different vibe now.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe wait for the draw and get a little tense,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce the draw starts, to me, that\u2019s when it starts, once we have the draw and post positions. Right now this is the lull. This is sort of the last chance you can sort of chill and relax.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. Z Sold, Entered in Preakness Stakes<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas reported this afternoon that multiple graded stakes-placed Mr. Z has been sold and entered in the Preakness Stakes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Brad Kelley\u2019s Calumet Farm purchased Mr. Z from his previous owner, Ahmed Zayat, who also owns Kentucky Derby winner and likely Preakness favorite American Pharoah.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHe is entered with Calumet,\u201d Lukas said. \u201cYou always worry about any horse deal until it\u2019s chiseled in stone. We\u2019re dotting all the\u00a0 I\u2019s and crossing the T\u2019s. They have reached an agreement. I\u2019ve been on the phone negotiating and doing the dialogue. I\u2019m just the messenger in this case.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. Z arrived at Pimlico Tuesday afternoon with five other Lukas-trained horses being aimed at Preakness weekend stakes. Most recently, the Malibu Moon colt finished 13th in the Kentucky Derby.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s doing well,\u201d Lukas said. \u201cI galloped him over the track this morning and he handled it really well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lukas has won the Preakness six times, most recently with Oxbow in 2013. Oxbow was also owned by Calumet Farm.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know that I pushed the sale. The sale just came through conversation and dialogue,\u201d Lukas said. \u201cMr. Z is a pretty well-bred horse. He might be the best bred horse in the Preakness if you look at it real critically. Brad flat asked me, \u2018Would you run him,\u2019 and I said if I owned him, I\u2019d run him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Corey Nakatani will ride Mr. Z in the Preakness.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Firing Line \u2018Fit and Fresh\u2019 for Preakness Stakes<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Trainer Simon Callaghan returned to Southern California to tend to his Santa Anita-based stable shortly after he saddled Firing Line for a gutsy second-place finish behind American Pharoah in the Kentucky Derby.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The 32-year-old trainer left Arnold Zetcher\u2019s 3-year-old colt in the capable and trusted hands of assistant trainer Carlos Santamaria and exercise rider Humberto Gomez at Churchill Downs to prepare for Saturday\u2019s Preakness Stakes.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 All of the updates on Firing Line\u2019s training have been positive, said Callaghan prior to leaving California to reunite with his Sunland Park Derby (G3) winner at Pimlico Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cCarlos and Humberto have been happy with the way the horse has been training. Everything seems to have gone perfectly between the Derby and now,\u201d Callaghan said. \u201cHe seems to have really good energy. He\u2019s seems very happy. He\u2019s showing all the signs you want to see going into a big race.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Based on his staff\u2019s reports, Callaghan designed Firing Line\u2019s training program for the Preakness. While none of the four Derby starters scheduled to run Saturday will have had workouts prior to running in the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown,\u00a0 Firing Line was allowed to open gallop while finishing up his morning trips around the Churchill oval Sunday and Monday.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe didn\u2019t want to breeze him between the two races. He\u2019s feeling really good and has had lots of energy, so we decided to give him slightly more open gallops just to keep him calm, so he\u2019s not too fresh with not doing any breezes in two weeks,\u201d Callaghan said. \u201cThe horse is really fit and fresh going into a big race.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Firing Line walked Wednesday morning before being vanned to the Louisville airport.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Danzig Moon Gallops before Churchill Departure<\/b><\/p>\n

John Oxley\u2019s Danzig Moon went through his morning regimen at Churchill Downs, galloping 1 \u00bd miles under exercise rider William Cano, before being vanned to the Louisville airport. The son of Malibu Moon was the only Preakness entrant to train at Churchill.<\/p>\n

The fifth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, he has been a true road warrior as a 3-year-old and will be racing at his fifth venue in as many starts for trainer Mark Casse. His only win was a maiden-breaker at Gulfstream in early February, but he finished fourth in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and second in the Blue Grass(G1) before trying the Kentucky Derby.<\/p>\n

Danzig Moon ran into traffic during his Derby journey.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI mean that\u2019s one of the reasons we\u2019re coming,\u201d Casse said. \u201cHe got knocked around pretty good in the Derby, but he\u2019s a fighter. You always like smaller fields; there\u2019s less horses you have to beat. Normally there\u2019s less traffic in the Preakness, so we\u2019re looking forward to a little smaller field.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Casse\u2019s son, Norman, has been supervising the colt\u2019s activities in Kentucky. He will be joined by his Canadian-based father at Pimlico on Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile Wednesday morning at Churchill, Charles Fipke\u2019s Tale of Verve, who broke his maiden last time out in a 1 3\/16-mile race, walked under tack in trainer Dallas Stewart\u2019s shedrow.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Danzig<\/a>
Danzig Moon, under Julien Leparoux, wins a maiden race at Gulfstream Park on April 9, 2015.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Divining Rod: The Name Game<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Gretchen and Roy Jackson settled on Divining Rod when naming their Lael Stables\u2019 colt out of broodmare Precious Kitten. The name is connected to top sire Tapit, Gretchen Jackson said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Long before technology made it easy to see whether water or metals were under ground, a divining rod \u2013 a y-shaped stick or rod \u2013 was used in dowsing a pseudoscientific attempt to determine where to start digging.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once the water was found, she noted the next step was to tap into it, or tap it. Gretchen Jackson acknowledged that people have trouble making the connection.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so hard to name a Tapit,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not the best name, but if he wins, it will be a great name. The horse makes the name, I think.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Precious Kitten, a multiple Grade 1 winner purchased from Ken and Sarah Ramsey, has a Medaglia d\u2019Oro yearling and dropped a full sister to Divining Rod in April.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Jacksons are longtime breeders. Among their many successes was Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby winning colt who suffered catastrophic injuries in the 2006 Preakness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Divining Rod had a routine morning Wednesday at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s doing great,\u201d trainer Arnaud Delacour said. \u201cHe galloped a mile and a half on the dirt track this morning. It was in perfect condition. I was very happy with everything. He cooled out OK. So far, so good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Delacour said that the colt will gallop again on Thursday morning before vanning to Pimlico Race Course.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Corrales Confident Bodhisattva Ready to Step Up<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Owner\/trainer Jose Corrales sent Bodhisattva to the Laurel Park track Wednesday morning for a 1 \u00bd-mile gallop and some schooling at the gate. He plans to van the colt to Pimlico Thursday morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Corrales realizes his colt has to step up to compete with the likes of Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah and the group of Derby also-rans entered for the Middle Jewel, but he\u2019s optimistic he can make an impression Saturday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThis horse has got what I think a horse should be,\u201d he said. \u201cEverything feels OK so far. You go with a mentality that he can compete and you see how he does. Thank God he keeps sound and he keeps improving. I know he\u2019s not 100 percent (potential) yet, but he\u2019s a much better horse now than when he ran at Aqueduct in the Grade 2 Remsen) last year. He was nothing compared to the level he is right now. He\u2019s now mature.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Corrales is hoping that the projected smallish field of eight will also boost his chances. He thinks he has one of the field\u2019s fresher horses and he\u2019s hoping that the wear and tear of the Derby and a quick turnaround for four of the top five Derby finishers might work in his colt\u2019s favor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got to think that these horses from the Kentucky Derby had a lot of preparation to get ready for that race,\u201d he said. \u201cI know they are good horses, but they come here two weeks later and have to travel from Kentucky to Maryland. They are super horses, but super horses also get beat. I have a lot of confidence in this horse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0