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Kentucky Bear Gets Acclimated To Pimlico In Preparation For Next Saturday's Preakness Stakes.


BALTIMORE, 05-08-08---Sixteen hours after arriving at Pimlico, Bear Stables Ltd’s Kentucky Bear was on the track with assistant trainer and exercise rider Cassie Garcia in preparation for next Saturday’s $1 million Preakness® Stakes (Grade I), the middle jewel of racing’s Triple Crown. The son of Mr. Greeley jogged twice around the Pimlico oval at 8:30 a.m.

“I’m super happy with how he settled in,” Garcia said. “We’re happy to be here.”

Kentucky Bear finished third in the Blue Grass Stakes (Grade I) at Keeneland on April 12. The Reade Baker trainee is expected to work five furlongs at Pimlico Saturday immediately following the renovation break, weather permitting.

“I know it’s supposed to rain, so if the track is okay we’ll gallop tomorrow, if not we’ll probably jog,” added Garcia. “Ever since he came into Kentucky (April 2) he’s built more muscle, he’s actually matured a little more. I think he’s got a great chance coming into this race. Everything’s just clicked perfectly with him.”

Jamie Theriot is expected to have the riding assignment.

Kentucky Bear is joined in the stakes barn by stablemate Bear Now, who shipped down from Baker’s Woodbine base yesterday afternoon. The four-year-old filly will run in the $150,00 Allaire duPont Distaff (Grade II) on the Preakness undercard. The multiple graded stakes winner is three for four at the 1 1/16th mile distance.

Recapturetheglory will be the second Preakness starter in Baltimore when the fifth place finisher from last Saturday’s Kentucky Derby leaves Churchill Downs Saturday evening and should arrive at the Pimlico stakes barn in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Co-owners Ronnie Lemarque and Louis Roussel, the colt’s trainer, arrive in Baltimore Monday. The connections captured the Preakness 20 years ago with Risen Star. This morning Recapturetheglory jogged a mile and galloped a mile shortly after 7 a.m. over a muddy Churchill Downs racing surface. E.T. Baird, who never has ridden in the Preakness, retains the mount.

The third Preakness starter to arrive will be Robert LaPenta’s Stevil, who was fourth in the April 12 Blue Grass Stakes (Grade I) at Keeneland in his most recent start. Trainer Nick Zito, who has saddled 18 Preakness starters in his Hall of Fame career plans to work the son of Maria’s Mon at Churchill Downs on Monday morning and ship to Pimlico on Tuesday. John Velazquez has the Preakness mount on Stevil.

Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, who delivered a 4 ¾ length score Saturday, is scheduled to land at Baltimore-Washington International airport at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14.

“Everything’s good here,” trainer Rick Dutrow said Thursday morning after the undefeated colt jogged a mile at Churchill. The Preakness will be a homecoming for Dutrow, the son of legendary trainer Dickie Dutrow who was born in Maryland, and jockey Kent Desormeaux, who won the Eclipse Award for outstanding apprentice rider while based at Pimlico and Laurel Park in the late 1980’s.

“Every time Preakness would roll around dad would win a race on Preakness day,” said Dutrow in an NTRA conference call this afternoon. “Naturally I would love to win a race like that. It’s where I grew up. Most of the traits of the game are right there at Pimlico, Bowie, Laurel. I’m going to see a lot of my friends. I can’t wait to get there.”

Tres Borrachos and Racecar Rhapsody will also be on the same flight with Big Brown.

Tres Borrachos walked the shedrow at Churchill Downs on Thursday morning, a day after working five furlongs in :59.60. Trainer Beau Greely opted to keep Tres Borrachos at Churchill Downs after the Ecton Park gelding did not make the Kentucky Derby field because of insufficient graded stakes earnings and shoot for the Preakness rather than targeting a spot such as Saturday’s $400,000 Lone Star Derby (Grade III).

“We try to win big races,” Greely said. “(The Preakness) is a million dollar race and it’s not every day that you get a chance to try it.” Tyler Baze, who never has had a Preakness mount, has the call on Tres Borrachos.

Trainer Kenny McPeek sent Racecar Rhapsody out for a mile and half gallop at Churchill Downs. Racecar Rhapsody finished fourth in the Lexington (Grade II) at Keeneland in his most recent start on April 19, a finish that did not get enough graded stakes earnings to make the Kentucky Derby field.

“The horse is doing well and the extra distance is an interesting factor,” said McPeek, who has had two previous Preakness starters (Harlan’s Holiday in 2002 and Tejano Run in 1995). Racecar Rhapsody will work five furlongs Saturday morning. Robby Albarado has the mount.

A few hours before the Tex Sutton flight arrives from Kentucky it will transport the runners who will compete at Pimlico next weekend, including Yankee Bravo. At Hollywood Park this morning, the son of Yankee Gentleman worked seven furlongs in 1:24.20 with regular rider Alex Solis. The Paddy Gallagher trainee has not run since a fourth place finish in the Santa Anita Derby (Grade I) on April 5.

“He didn’t have enough earnings to try and get into the Derby. It wasn’t meant to be so we’ll just try it here in the next one,” said Gallagher, who worked for Bill Shoemaker during the Hall of Famer rider’s training career. ”The Santa Anita Derby was an exciting race to be in and a little disappointing. Alex Solis has great belief. He believes he can get a mile and eighth and further so that’s why we’re going to try the Preakness.”

Trainer Rick Schosberg plans on shipping Giant Moon to Pimlico next Thursday from his Belmont Park base. The son of Giant’s Causeway, who won the first four races of his career including three stakes races in New York, finished fourth in the Wood Memorial (Grade I) on April 5. Ramon Dominguez will ride in the Preakness for the seventh time in the last eight years.

“He continues to do fine,” Schosberg said.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will ship Lexington winner (Grade II) Behindathebar into Pimlico as late as possible, maybe even Preakness morning from his Belmont Park barn. Pletcher said a decision would be made on Harlem Rocker, who is a perfect three-for-three, including an impressive score in the Withers (Grade III) on April 26, after the son of Macho Uno breezes over the weekend.

Other still considering a run in Maryland’s signature race are Macho Again and Riley Tucker.

The post position draw for the Preakness is Wednesday, May 14 at 5 p.m. at the ESPN Zone in downtown Baltimore. The event will be televised live on ESPN.

The 133rd running of the Preakness on May 17 will be televised by NBC. Post time is 6:15 p.m.

CONFIRMED PREAKNESS STARTERS

HORSE.. TRAINER.. JOCKEY.. LAST START

Big Brown.. Rick Dutrow.. Kent Desormeaux.. Kentucky Derby, 1st
Recapturetheglory.. Louis Roussel.. E.T. Baird.. Kentucky Derby, 5th
Behindatthebar.. Todd Pletcher..David Flores.. Lexington, 1st
Giant Moon.. Rick Schosberg.. Ramon Dominguez.. Wood Memorial, 4th
Kentucky Bear.. Reade Baker.. Jamie Theriot.. Blue Grass, 3rd
Racecar Rhapsody.. Kenny McPeek.. Robby Albarado.. Lexington, 4th
Stevil.. Nick Zito.. John Velazquez.. Blue Grass, 4th
Tres Borrachos.. Beau Greely.. Tyler Baze.. Arkansas Derby, 3rd
Yankee Bravo.. Paddy Gallaghe.. Alex Solis.. Santa Anita Derby, 4th

POSSIBLE PREAKNESS STARTERS
HORSE.. TRAINER.. JOCKEY.. LAST START

Harlem Rocker.. Todd Pletcher.. Eibar Coa.. Withers, 1st
Macho Again.. Dallas Stewart.. TBA.. Derby Trial, 1st
Riley Tucker.. Bill Mott.. Edgar Prado.. Lexington, 3rd

MISS PREAKNESS 2008 IS NAMED

Maggie Wolfendale

The Maryland Jockey Club announced today that Maggie Wolfendale, a student at Towson University, is the 2008 Miss Preakness. The 21-year-old Mass Communication major will represent Pimlico at all of the Preakness Celebration activities, including the Preakness Parade and the post position draw for entries at the ESPN Zone on Wednesday May 14. An aspiring reporter, Wolfendale, the daughter of top Maryland conditioner Howard Wolfendale, will be covering this year’s Preakness for Towson University’s television station.


Good Luck!