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Friesan Fire, Papa Clem, Musket Man turn in Preakness works
"We really meant to work him well that day, and he did," said Jones, whose colt had a seven-week layoff between the Louisiana Derby (G2) and the Kentucky Derby. "This one here was just to let him stretch his legs and see if he came out of the Derby well. I know when I galloped him the last two days, he sure seemed like he was doing well. We're very happy, very pleased. He's cooling out good, so all's well. Right now we will push on and run Saturday." Saez echoed Jones' satisfaction with the workout.
When Jones had a chance to examine Friesan Fire following the Derby, he discovered strips of bandages lodged between the hoof and the shoe of the left front foot. "When we first saw it, we thought it was part of his hoof that had peeled up in there," he said. "But when we got to checking it, we could see that it was some kind of material. So we took a couple nails out of his shoe where we could get it pried out, and it was a bandaging material." The mystery of where the bandage came from was solved the next morning at the nearby Cracker Barrel, where he bumped into Bennie "Chip" Woolley, trainer of Derby winner MINE THAT BIRD (Birdstone), and Bob Baffert, who saddled PIONEEROF THE NILE (Empire Maker) for a runner-up finish in the Run for the Roses. While they traded war stories of Derby 135, Baffert mentioned that one of Pioneer of the Nile's bandages had a round piece missing after the race.
"I never really thought of him as Derby horse because he never really trained like one, but every time he's run, he's run a lot better than he trained," said Stute, who will walk the colt Wednesday and possibly get him a visit to the gate Thursday or Friday. "He's always kind of shocked me how good he ran off the way he worked." MUSKET MAN (Yonaguska), the third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, worked a bullet four furlongs in :46 3/5 Tuesday morning at Monmouth Park under exercise rider Daniel Centeno. Eibar Coa, who was aboard for Musket Man's last two starts, will ride him in the Preakness. "It went perfect, just what I wanted," said trainer Derek Ryan, who will ship his colt on race day. "I haven't run any horses at Pimlico in quite a while, but it's a similar track to Monmouth. I've won a couple stakes there.'' Musket Man went to Kentucky off back-to-back wins in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and Illinois Derby (G2), but Ryan said he wasn't as sharp on the sloppy, sealed surface at Churchill Downs. "All that rain and it never dried out," said Ryan, who will saddle his first Preakness runner. "He's got a good turn of foot, but on a sloppy track you don't have that turn of foot you would have on a dry track." Still, Musket Man missed second money by only a nose. The weather forecast for the Baltimore area is much more promising the rest of the week than it was Derby week in Louisville, with only a chance of scattered showers on race day. After working five furlongs in 1:02 3/5 at Pimlico on Monday, BIG DRAMA (Montbrook) jogged a mile and galloped a mile at Old Hilltop Tuesday morning. "He came out of the work great. He galloped really well," said trainer David Fawkes, whose wife, Celia, was aboard for the morning exercise. Big Drama has blossomed since arriving at Pimlico last week, said Fawkes, an Illinois native who has been training in South Florida for 11 years. "It does a lot for them. It helps to build their blood up. They get sharp and happy. They like that climate change. I've had a lot of luck shipping out of Calder," he said. "It's 90 (degrees) in Florida right now and 48 (degrees) here. You move a horse out of that into cool weather and it makes a huge difference."
A few minutes after 9 a.m. Tuesday morning, Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mine That Bird rolled out of the Churchill Downs barn area headed for Baltimore and the second leg of racing's Triple Crown. With trainer Woolley behind the wheel of the Ford F-450 Lariat and exercise rider Charlie Figueroa riding shotgun, the Kentucky Derby-winning team left Barn 42 with Mine That Bird comfortably ensconced in the trailer behind the truck. "I think he is ready," Woolley said. "If we make the trip up there good and he eats good, I couldn't ask for anything better."
Before Mine That Bird walked into the trailer, Baffert, astride his stable pony Leo, rode up from Barn 33 where his Kentucky Derby runner-up Pioneerof The Nile is housed. "I just want to see how this is done," Baffert said with a laugh. The two trainers shook hands, wished each other luck and then it was time to go. With Baffert running interference on Leo, Woolley pulled in right behind and had a clear shot to Gate 6 and the open road east. In other Preakness-related activity at Churchill Downs:
Blasi and one of Wiggins' assistants, Brett McClellan, are very good friends and that connection has helped shorten the adjustment period. "Mr. Hal and the whole team has been very cooperative," Blasi said. "They want nothing but the best for the filly and have been very supportive and helpful." According to Blasi, Rachel Alexandra has reacted well to the barn change. "It's like being around a great horse," he said. "She's just very classy and kind of takes in whatever you want to do with her." And for a horse who clearly relishes getting out for her exercise, that includes accepting the standard day away from the track following a work. "It was her walk day yesterday," Blasi said. "She felt good, but she wasn't out of hand or anything. She walked, went in the house and went to sleep like she always does." Pioneerof the Nile walked the shedrow a day after working a half-mile in :47 3/5. Trainer Bob Baffert said Pioneerof the Nile would go to the track Wednesday morning and then leave for Baltimore on the 1:30 p.m. flight. Getting a jump on the migration east to Baltimore was owner/trainer Tom McCarthy's GENERAL QUARTERS (Sky Mesa) as well as five horses trained by D. Wayne Lukas, including Preakness hopefuls FLYING PRIVATE (Fusaichi Pegasus) and LUV GOV (Ten Most Wanted). All were gone before the track opened for training at 6 a.m.
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