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| Ring Weekend wasn't himself in the Calder Derby, prompting jockey Alan Garcia to call it a total toss
(Calder Race Course/Coady Photography) |
St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds' Ring Weekend looked like an
obvious Kentucky Derby contender after wiring foes in the March 8 Tampa Bay
Derby, where he won by three lengths.
On Saturday, the three-year-old gelding hopes to return to that form when he tackles
Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome in the 139th running of the $1.5 million
Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.Following the victory at Tampa Bay Downs, trainer Graham Motion sent Ring
Weekend to Calder for his next start, the April 5 Calder Derby, where he
finished 9 3/4 lengths back in second with jockey Alan Garcia at the reins.
"He worked at Calder the week before and worked pretty well," Garcia said. "Then
by the time he got to the race, the track was completely different. I noticed it
changes a lot from the morning to the afternoon over there, so I think the horse
was unhappy. He didn't break that well and was not himself in that race.
"Then I said to Graham, 'You have to throw away this race,' because he wasn't
himself and even when he was galloping out. He was just completely different."
Ring Weekend had enough points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby but was taken
out of consideration when his owners announced that he had come down with a
fever about a week before the race.
"I was expecting him to run in the Derby," Garcia said. "We talked about it and
then the horse shipped to Fair Hill. He was training super. I was being told how
well he was doing the whole time. Then he did an excellent jog a week before but
then caught a fever and that's when I was expecting him to scratch."
Garcia was optimistic that his horse would get another chance at a classic race.
"I wasn't disappointed," Garcia said. "I just wanted to make sure he got over
the fever and would come back in good shape for the next race. |
