Preakness

Bob Baffert told the media Sunday morning at Churchill Downs that his stable has been informed by the Kentucky Racing Commission that GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for the medication betamethasone in post-race tests conducted after the Derby. In a 13-minute press conference (video) at his barn on the Churchill Downs backstretch Baffert, denied any wrongdoing. "All I can tell you is that betamethasone is an allowed therapeutic medication, but we did not give it to this horse," Baffert said. "In fact, Medina Spirit has never...

Trainer Chad Brown sent out Klaravich Stables' duo of Crowded Trade (More Than Ready) and Risk Taking (Medaglia d'Oro) to breeze in company Saturday, while Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher had Whisper Hill Farm's Unbridled Honor (Honor Code) work in company with older graded stakes winner Fearless (Ghostzapper) at Belmont Park in preparation for next Saturday's GI Preakness S. Risk Taking, winner of the GIII Withers S. and seventh-place finisher in the GII Wood Memorial S., worked outside of narrow GIII Gotham S. second and Wood Memorial third Crowded...

GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Mandaloun (Into Mischief) and stakes winner Caddo River (Hard Spun) will both pass on a run in next Saturday's GI Preakness S., trainer Brad Cox reported Thursday, significantly thinning the group of potential upsetters for Derby hero Medina Spirit (Protonico) in the Triple Crown's Middle Jewel. "We made the decision in the last hour to bypass the Preakness and point for Grade I's throughout the rest of the season," said trainer Brad Cox said of the Juddmonte homebred. "He has responded really well. We actually took...

Bob Baffert confirmed to the Maryland Jockey Club press department Tuesday that 'TDN Rising Star' Concert Tour (Street Sense) will contest next Saturday's GI Preakness S., taking on GI Kentucky Derby-winning stablemate Medina Spirit (Protonico). "We figure, this is the race," Baffert said. "The Derby is run. A lot of horses, they went through a lot to get here. He's sort of a fresh horse. In the Rebel, he looked so good." Gary and Mary West homebred Concert Tour began his career three-for-three, taking Santa Anita's GII San Vicente S....

Trainer Brad Cox told Steve Byk on At the Races Tuesday morning that champion Essential Quality (Tapit), fourth in the GI Kentucky Derby as the 29-10 favorite, will skip the GI Preakness S. May 15. The grey could be considered for the GI Belmont S. June 5, with Godolphin's Jimmy Bell telling TVG's Alicia Hughes that the Belmont is "part of the conversation, but that's not definitive at all. We're skipping the Preakness, that's for sure. Our primary goal is to run in the [Aug. 28 GI] Travers and we'll...

John and Diane Fradkin's Rombauer (Twirling Candy), third in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. in his most recent start, is headed to the May 15 GI Preakness S. at Pimlico Race Course. "That's the plan," trainer Michael McCarthy told the Pimlico notes team Monday. The homebred automatically qualified for a starting berth in the 146th Preakness with his victory in the El Camino Real Derby Feb. 13 at Golden Gate Fields. He was third, beaten 5 3/4 lengths in the Blue Grass behind champion Essential Quality (Tapit) and Highly...

For the first time since 2015, Maryland's local audition for the GI Preakness S. will provide horses with an opportunity to prep over the same Pimlico Race Course main track that serves as home for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. The $125,000 Federico Tesio S. headlines seven stakes worth $750,000 in purses on the Spring Stakes Spectacular program Saturday, Apr. 24, originally scheduled to be run at Laurel Park. With the ongoing evaluation of Laurel's main track, live racing has been shifted to Pimlico, effective Thursday, Apr. 22....

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 570 entries for its 2021 Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, to be held Monday and Tuesday, May 17-18, at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland. "Led by Eclipse Champion and Breeders' Cup Champion Gamine, Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training is once again among the nation's leading two-year-old sales by Grade I wins," said Midlantic Sales Director Paget Bennett. "This year's cover features graded stakes winners from North America to Dubai, on dirt and turf, in a variety of divisions. This sale produces graded stakes success--and lots of...

Trainer Kenny McPeek said Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimney Farm's King Fury (Curlin) will be pointed to the GI Kentucky Derby or the GI Preakness S. after winning the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. Saturday at Keeneland. The chestnut returned last night to McPeek's division at Churchill Downs, where he has two wins including the Street Sense S. With the 20 points he earned in the Lexington, King Fury ranks 28th on the Derby points leaderboard and would need several defections to draw into the May 1 Run for the...

As a result of the ongoing pause of live racing at Laurel Park through Sunday, Apr. 4, the Maryland Jockey Club has pushed its Spring Stakes Spectacular program back one week to Saturday, Apr. 24. All seven stakes worth a total of $750,000 in purses originally scheduled for Saturday, Apr. 17 will be run on the new date with a similar 12:40 p.m. post time. Nominations for all stakes are due Saturday, Apr. 3. The Spring Stakes Spectacular is led by the $125,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8...

The $1-million GI Preakness S. returns to its normal position as the second leg of racing's Triple Crown and is the marquee event of a $3.25-million stakes schedule at Pimlico Race Course this spring. The Preakness, repositioned as the last of the three Triple Crown events due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, was won by Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who became just the sixth filly in history to win the race. She defeated GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic (Into Mischief), who would return to win the GI Breeders' Cup Classic...

Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Jesus' Team (Tapiture), second in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. Jan. 23, breezed six furlongs in 1:14.45 at Palm Meadows Training Center Saturday morning, three weeks out from a scheduled to run in the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 27. "He went perfect, just like I wanted," trainer Jose D'Angelo said. "He was spectacular on the gallop-out, faster than he finished. I think we're going to have a great trip to Dubai with him. He'll have one more work, an easy seven furlongs...