Preakness Stakes News & Notes

May 10th

• Tale of Verve, who failed to draw into the G1 Kentucky Derby from the also eligible list, will race in the G1 Preakness S. next with Joel Rosario in the irons

• Kentucky Derby fifth-place finisher Danzig Moon was confirmed for the Preakness

• Regular jockey Julien Leparoux opted to stick with Danzig Moon for the Preakness rather than ride G2 Lexington S. victor Divining Rod

• Tale of Verve and Danzig Moon will take the scheduled May 13 equine charter flight from Louisville to Baltimore along with the top three Derby finishers

• Trainer Arnaud Delacour said he expects to have either John Velazquez or Javier Castellano on Divining Rod for the Preakness

• Federico Tesio S. winner Bodhisattva will be the first Triple Crown starter for owner-trainer Jose Corrales and jockey Trevor McCarthy

• American Pharoah and Dortmund, the respective one and three finishers in the Derby, received a brief schooling session in Churchill Downs' six-stall starting gate on May 10

• Kentucky Derby 13 th -place finisher Mr. Z was removed from Preakness consideration by owner Ahmed Zayat

• Recent maiden winner Lemon Drop Title, who was being considered for the Preakness, will instead run in the Sir Barton S. on the undercard

• Bold Conquest, who was not entered as an also eligible in the Derby, is a candidate for the Sir Barton

• Lexington S. runner-up Donworth is being pointed to the Sir Barton

• Bluegrass Singer exited his May 2 Parx Derby score in good order and is possible for Pimlico's grassy James W. Murphy S. on Preakness day

• G2 Peter Pan S. hero Madefromlucky is probable for the G1 Belmont S. on June 6 while third-place finisher and stablemate Two Weeks Off is unlikely for that race

• Kentucky Derby eighth-place finisher Mubtaahij is being prepared for a return in the Belmont

• Dual G2 stakes champ Blofeld is being pointed to the G2 Woody Stephens S. on the Belmont undercard

• Keeneland allowance winner Danish Dynaformer will likely use Woodbine's May 16 Marine S. to prepare for the $1 million Queen's Plate there on July 5

• Prospect Park, who was forced to miss the Kentucky Derby due to illness, is being pointed to the G3 Affirmed S. on June 7 at Santa Anita

• The July 4 G1 Belmont Derby is under consideration for G2 American Turf S. hero Divisidero

• G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile champion Texas Red could return to racing in Belmont Park's G3 Dwyer S. on July 4

May 3rd

• American Pharoah and Firing Line, the top two finishers in the G1 Kentucky Derby, are expected to square off again in the G1 Preakness S. on May 16 at Pimlico

• Kentucky Derby show finisher Dortmund is probable for the Preakness, with a decision to be made when trainer Bob Baffert returns from California next weekend

• American Pharoah and Dortmund will stay at Baffert's barn at Churchill Downs this week

• Firing Line will remain at Churchill Downs with assistant trainer Carlos Santamaria and exercise rider Humberto Gomez and likely ship to Pimlico in the coming week

• Frosted, a closing fourth in the Kentucky Derby, is unlikely for the Preakness and scheduled to ship back to New York on May 4

• Kentucky Derby fifth-place finisher Danzig Moon is under consideration for the Preakness, with the July 5 Queen's Plate at Woodbine a longer-term target

• Todd Pletcher's trio of Kentucky Derby starters - Materiality (sixth), Itsaknockout (ninth) and Carpe Diem (10 th) , exited the race in good order and will ship to Belmont Park on May 4 before future plans are determined

• Keen Ice, seventh in the Kentucky Derby, will bypass the Preakness and be pointed to the June 6 G1 Belmont S.

• G2 UAE Derby hero Mubtaahij came out of his eighth-place Kentucky Derby run well and will get several months off before beginning preparations for a campaign designed to target the G2 Dubai World Cup in March 2016

• Kentucky Derby 11 th -place finisher Frammento returned to trainer Nick Zito's Keeneland barn on May 3 and will ship to Belmont Park mid-week to prepare for the third leg of the Triple Crown

• Bolo, 12 th in the Kentucky Derby, will return to California on May 5 and be pointed to turf stakes

• Mr. Z, who had a troubled run to a 13 th -place finish in the Kentucky Derby, came out of the race fine and future plans are undetermined

• Kentucky Derby 14 th -place finisher Ocho Ocho Ocho is expected to fly back to California with Bolo and be given a freshening

• Far Right, 15 th in the Kentucky Derby, came out of his effort well and plans for his next start are to be determined

• Kentucky Derby 16 th -place finisher War Story will be given a brief break and could start next in the June 20 Ohio Derby at ThistleDown

• Tencendur, 17 th in the Kentucky Derby, will ship back to trainer George Weaver's barn in New York on May 4

• Upstart, who was eased to last in the Kentucky Derby, exited the race with no apparent problems and will return to New York on May 4

• International Star, a late scratch on the morning of the Kentucky Derby, is under consideration for the Preakness

May 1st

• Both American Pharoah and Dortmund, the expected top two betting choices in the 141 st Kentucky Derby, were out early on May 1 for their final gallops in preparation for the race and will be walked around the barn shedrow on the morning of May 2

• Derby hopeful Firing Line had a routine gallop on May 1 and will go to the track early on May 2 for a routine jog

• G2 UAE Derby hero Mubtaahij trained in the mile chute on May 1 but did not go to the main track

• Multiple graded stakes hero International Star was back on the Churchill Downs track on May 1 after having a day off on April 30

• Stanford, who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby on April 30, will likely run next in the G2 Peter Pan S. on May 9 at Belmont Park or in the G1 Preakness S. at Pimlico on May 16

• Should Frammento start in the Derby as planned, the Nick Zito trainee will become the first also-eligible entrant to run in the race

• Tale of Verve, a surprise Derby entrant as an also-eligible, is likely for the Preakness

• Bold Conquest, who was not entered as an also-eligible in the Derby, is possible for the Preakness

• Triple Crown nominee Smart Transition, winner of a Santa Anita maiden race on April 30, will make his next start at Belmont Park