Oxbow, Golden Soul drill at Churchill; Unlimited Budget could get Napravnik

Oxbow recorded his first move since the Preakness on Thursday (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)

Preakness hero Oxbow got back to work at Churchill Downs on Thursday,
breezing six furlongs in 1:14 3/5 on the fast main track in preparation for the
June 8 Belmont Stakes.

Churchill Downs clockers caught the D. Wayne Lukas trainee in splits of :24
1/5, :35 4/5, :47 3/5 and 1:00 3/5, and the son of Awesome Again galloped out
seven furlongs in 1:29 2/5.

A creditable sixth after chasing the frantic pace in the Kentucky Derby,
Oxbow will try to join the “two-thirds club” in the Belmont. His close relative
Paynter almost wired the 1 1/2-mile classic last year.

Stablemate Will Take Charge, eighth in the Derby and seventh in the
Preakness, negotiated his six furlongs in 1:15 4/5. The Unbridled’s Song colt
recorded fractions of :12 4/5, :24 3/5, :37 2/5 and :50 2/5 and galloped out
seven furlongs in 1:30 3/5.

Golden Soul returned to the worktab for the first time since the Derby (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)

Charles Fipke’s homebred by Perfect Soul reeled off splits of :12 1/5, :24
3/5, :36 4/5 and :48 3/5. He galloped out six panels in 1:13 1/5 — faster than
the Lukas pair worked — and kept on through a seventh furlong in 1:28.

In other Belmont news:

Code West’s status continues to be uncertain, with trainer Bob Baffert
sounding noncommittal about running. As a result, speculation is mounting that
the colt’s previously announced rider, Rosie Napravnik, may well become
available for the Belmont.

If Code West drops out, Napravnik is now in pole position to ride one of Todd
Pletcher’s team — namely, the filly Unlimited Budget, if she gets the green
light to take on the boys.