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Chelokee doubtful for Preakness; Pletcher mulls entering two
If Chelokee does line up in the Barbaro, it would prove to be a deeply poignant occasion. Matz trained the prodigiously talented Barbaro, last year's Kentucky Derby winner who suffered a catastrophic breakdown in the Preakness and had to be euthanized in January. In his honor, the 1 1/16-mile stakes for sophomores on the Preakness undercard, formerly known as the Sir Barton S., was renamed the Barbaro. Matz added that if any changes occur to the prospective Preakness field, Chelokee could be rerouted to the 1 3/16-mile classic. "I would say unless something happens where some of those top three horses scratch out, we'll probably go in the Barbaro," the trainer said. With Chelokee's likely defection from the Preakness, Dominguez would now be available to ride XCHANGER (Exchange Rate) for Mark Shuman. "(Xchanger's) super," Shuman said of his charge, who walked the shedrow at Fair Hill on Sunday, one day after his bullet five-furlong work in :59 2/5. "He didn't miss a beat, didn't miss an oat." Dominguez piloted Xchanger to a supremely impressive 4 3/4-length triumph in the Federico Tesio S. at Pimlico last time out. Shuman was awaiting final word from Dominguez's agent, Steve Rushing, on Sunday regarding the Preakness mount. Hutcheson S. (G2) hero and Santa Anita Derby (G1) runner-up Kingoftheroxy, who worked six furlongs in 1:14 4/5 on Saturday, went straight back to the track on Sunday. The Team Valor colorbearer galloped 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park, with Pletcher praising his appearance as "outstanding." "We'll just basically gallop up to the race," he added. When asked if Kingoftheroxy would be his only starter in Preakness 132, Pletcher didn't give a categorical answer. "That's my decision as of this moment," the three-time Eclipse Award winner said. In response to the inevitable follow-up question, whether that was subject to change, Pletcher said, "Always." Pletcher would not be drawn into naming his second possible entrant, saying only that the decision would be made on Wednesday. Also galloping at Belmont on Sunday was C P WEST (Came Home), who finished second to Kingoftheroxy in last year's Futurity S. (G2). "We galloped him today because the track was off," trainer Nick Zito said. "It rained a lot last night, a lot of unexpected rain, so we rescheduled (his final work) for tomorrow." Most recently runner-up in the Withers S. (G3), C P West will reunite with rider Edgar Prado in the Preakness. At Churchill Downs on Sunday, Derby winner Street Sense visited the starting gate and galloped 1 1/4 miles beneath exercise rider Mark Cutler. "We stood him in the gate and backed him out," conditioner Carl Nafzger said. "He's doing great. He's damn near ahead of schedule. We're just trying to keep him happy. That's all you can really do between the Derby and the Preakness." Also under the Twin Spires, Derby third-placer Curlin galloped two miles with exercise rider Carmen Rosas. The Arkansas Derby (G2) romper is slated to work Monday at approximately 6:30 a.m. (EDT). Street Sense is scheduled to work Tuesday, as is Derby Trial S. victor FLYING FIRST CLASS (Perfect Mandate). Plans call for all three Churchill-based contenders to ship to Pimlico on Wednesday. With trainer Larry Jones in the saddle, Derby runner-up Hard Spun galloped 1 1/2 miles and jogged another three-eighths of a mile at Delaware Park on Sunday. "I'm thinking of using an exercise rider (Monday), so I can watch him go, to see if there's anything that needs to be worked on," Jones said. "Or I might just sit back and grin." Jones does not expect the Lane's End S. (G2) winner to post a timed work in advance of the Preakness. He reiterated that Hard Spun has exited the Derby in great shape. "He's a very special horse," Jones said. "He handles everything so well, mentally. It's like he knows what he has to do. It's like he wants to succeed at everything he does. "He's just a little faster than the other horses," Jones continued. "If you want to run with him early, if you want to commit suicide, he'll make you run much faster than you want to. I'm not saying he's the fastest horse in the world, but he's got a great cruising speed." Hard Spun is scheduled to arrive at Old Hilltop on Wednesday. One Preakness hopeful is already on the Pimlico grounds. MINT SLEWLEP (Slew City Slew), fourth in the Withers in his latest, took a leisurely jog the wrong way around the oval on Sunday. A five-furlong drill is on tap for Monday. Trainer Robert Bailes said that Preakness 132 has been on his radar screen for some time. "We've had it on the back burner," Bailes said. "We just wanted to wait to see how many horses in the Derby were going to come to this race." Alan Garcia will partner Mint Slewlep in the second leg of the Triple Crown. "Alan has been riding horses for me for a while," Bailes said. "He's a good young rider. He's very underrated."
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