Ritvo confirms Macho’s on track for Preakness

MUCHO MACHO MAN (Macho Uno) remains on course toward the May 21 Preakness S.
(G1), trainer Kathy Ritvo said.

The third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby (G1) jogged once around the
training track at Belmont Park in the wrong direction then was turned around and
galloped 1 1/2 miles.

Ritvo said the colt is doing very well, and that whispers that Mucho Macho
Man would skip the second stop on the Triple Crown series were not correct.

“Put those rumors to rest,” she said. “As long as he continues what he’s
doing, we’re coming.”

Chuckling, Ritvo said,” Whoever it is, they’re probably afraid of us, that’s
why they’re saying it.”

Ritvo’s plans for the colt are fluid. With wet weather in the forecast for
the next several days, she said she hasn’t decided when she will ship him from
New York to Baltimore.

Still to be decided is whether Ritvo will work the colt between the Derby and
the Preakness.

“We’ll see how he keeps going,” she said. “He probably wouldn’t need to
because he has a lot of miles under him, but I just want to see how he’s going
and just do what’s right for him.”

King Congie (right) was beaten just a neck by stablemate Brilliant Speed when third in the Blue Grass (Keeneland/Coady Photography) KING CONGIE (Badge of Silver) likewise galloped 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Thursday morning. Trainer Tom Albertrani won with his only previous Preakness starter, Bernardini in 2006, and is using a similar approach this time around with the West Point Thoroughbreds colt. Depending on the weather, King Congie will have his final breeze on Sunday or Monday at Belmont Park and will stay in New York until May 20. Like he did five years ago, Albertrani is planning to fly in from New York for the post position draw, which will be held at 5 p.m. (EDT) Wednesday at Pimlico, and head home that evening. At Hollywood Park, trainer John Shirreffs said that a final decision on the Preakness plans for MR. COMMONS (Artie Schiller) will be made after the colt works Friday morning. Mr. Commons broke his maiden on the turf at Santa Anita on January 15, followed up with an allowance victory on dirt on February 26 and ran third in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 9.

“The Santa Anita Derby was his first real opportunity to experience a race
from the inside,” Shirreffs said. “He got a lot of dirt in his face and got a
lot of education out of that race. He came out of the race very well and is
training excellent since then.”

Shirreffs said that Mr. Commons is scheduled to fly from California to
Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday and continue his cross-continent journey on a
flight from Kentucky on Wednesday. Victor Espinoza has the mount for the
Preakness.

At the Bowie training center in Maryland, Gotham (G3) runner-up NORMAN
ASBJORNSON (Real Quiet) stood in the gate and galloped 1 1/2 miles. The Chris
Grove trainee will have his final work for the Preakness at 8:30 a.m. Friday at
Pimlico.

Veteran trainer Eddie Gaudet said the Maryland-bred CONCEALED IDENTITY
(Smarty Jones), winner of the Federico Tesio last Saturday, galloped Thursday
morning at his home base at Bowie.

“He’s come off his race good and is acting good,” Gaudet said.

RULER ON ICE (Roman Ruler), second as the favorite in the Federico Tesio,
returned to the track at Monmouth Park on Thursday morning. Trainer Kelly Breen
said that this weekend, he plans to discuss the gelding’s Preakness status with
owners George and Lori Hall.

Trainer Doodnauth Shivmangal said Thursday that ISN’T HE PERFECT (Pleasantly
Perfect) is still being considered for the Preakness, but that stablemate
HARLAN’S HELLO (Harlan’s Holiday) was no longer a candidate.

Harlan’s Hello is entered in the 7TH race at Belmont Park on Friday, and
Isn’t He Perfect is entered in the Peter Pan (G2) Saturday. However, Shivmangal
said that Isn’t He Perfect might wait and run in the Preakness.

“We haven’t decided what we’re going to do, so he’s in the (Peter Pan) and
we’ve got to look at the field for (the Preakness) and see if we can get in or
not.”