Dialed In back in New York, but Belmont status uncertain

Nick Zito was asked how he was doing Sunday morning after watching DIALED IN

(Mineshaft) finish fourth on Saturday in Pimlico's Preakness S. (G1), just coming up

short of collecting a $5.5 million Preakness 5.5 bonus.

"Beat up, as usual," said the dejected Hall of Fame trainer,

whose horse had finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) after winning the Holy

Bull (G3) and Florida Derby (G1).

Nonetheless, Zito reported that his dark bay charge came out of the

Preakness in good order.

"I just don't like it when he's squeezed. It infuriates me. I

don't know why," said Zito, whose colt closed from 14th after breaking from post

10 and experienced early crowding and bumping at the

quarter-pole. "You almost wish you had post 1 the way it turned out."

Dialed In vanned to the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga

Springs, New York, on Sunday morning, but his status for the third jewel of the

Triple Crown, the June 11 Belmont S. (G1), is uncertain.

"You think about it, but it's too early to tell," said Zito, who captured the

2004 running with Birdstone and the 2008 edition with Da' Tara. Zito has had 24

runners in the "Test of the Champion" and has finished in the top three 12

times.

ASTROLOGY (A.P. Indy) headed home

to Churchill Downs Sunday morning after once again hitting the board with a

third-place finish in the Preakness. Starting from the rail, the bay sat just behind the

pacesetters, moved up to second in the stretch, but was passed by Kentucky Derby

hero and eventual Preakness runner-up Animal Kingdom (Leroidesanimaux [Brz]) in deep stretch. Through eight races in his career, the

sophomore has

a record of 2-3-3.

Trainer Steve Asmussen said Astrology appeared to come out of the

race well but was very unlikely to run in the third jewel of the Triple Crown.

Instead, the conditioner is

preparing Derby runner-up Nehro (Mineshaft) for the Belmont.

"I thought that he competed really well," Asmussen said. "He was

training well going into it and had a big chance."

Astrology was a top juvenile prospect last season, but an illness during

the winter slowed the start of his campaign and ultimately kept him out of the

Kentucky Derby. His finish in the Preakness might be a step closer to a

breakthrough performance.

"We have been playing catch-up with the horse all year and

(Saturday) was a great opportunity for him," Asmussen said. "We felt that he had

a very good chance going in and that he validated that by competing well. I

think it's within him to get something like that done."

Moments after the Preakness was completed, trainer Bob

Baffert said his Preakness 13th-place finisher MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE (War Chant) is on his way to a career on

turf. The horseman reported the bay colt came out of the race fine, and on Sunday morning

the Santa Anita Derby (G1) victor was shipped back to California.

When Midnight Interlude finished 16th in the 19-horse Kentucky

Derby, Baffert said the slow pace and big field might have affected his colt. A

similarly poor outing in the Preakness has convinced Baffert that Midnight

Interlude ought to return to the grass.

"My horse is too heavy and strong to handle deeper, sand tracks

back here. He needs it firm," Baffert said. "We're still puzzled how he ran

there and emptied out. We're going to have to just go home, regroup and figure

out what his real style is. I think at the end of the day he might be a really

good turf horse that wants to settle and come running and go on further."

Baffert said he will know in a week or so whether Jaycito (Victory Gallop), or one

of his other three-year-olds, might run in the Belmont Stakes.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said DANCE CITY (City Zip), the Preakness fifth-place finisher, came out of the race in good order but would not be going on to the

Belmont. The Preakness marked the first time in five career starts that

the bay colt had finished off-the-board. He had been third in the

Arkansas Derby (G1) in his previous start.

"We'll regroup and freshen him up and probably get him ready for

Saratoga," Pletcher said. "He ran a credible race."

Trainer Tom Albertrani reported that KING CONGIE (Badge of Silver) came out

of his seventh-place run in the Preakness well. The dark bay vanned to his

trainer's Belmont Park base midmorning on Sunday, but there are no definite

plans for the colt's next race.

"We need to talk about it, but the Virginia Derby (G2) maybe," said

Albertrani, referring to Colonial Downs' $600,000 1 1/4-mile turf stakes on July

16.

Trainer John Shirreffs said MR. COMMONS (Artie Schiller) came out of the Preakness

in good condition and was shipped back to California Sunday. After breaking his maiden on turf, the colt made

the switch to dirt, winning a mile allowance race before finishing third in the

Santa Anita Derby to earn a trip to the Preakness. He drew the outside post

and was never able to get into contention, eventually running eighth

"We'll probably get him back on the turf because we know he does

a little better on the turf," Shirreffs said. "We hoped that he would be a

little bit more forwardly placed. When they get down on the inside and they get

a lot of kickback it's a little tough for them."

Linda Gaudet, who owns CONCEALED IDENTITY (Smarty Jones) in partnership

with Morris Bailey, expressed pleasure with the manner in which the bay

sophomore came out of his 10th-place finish in

the Preakness.

"He came back and didn't take a drink of water cooling out. He

grazed for 20-30 minutes and was bucking and playing again," said Gaudet, wife

of trainer Eddie Gaudet. "He was good this morning, ate up and was no worse for

the wear."

The Federico Tesio S. winner, who is stabled at Bowie Training Center, will be pointed toward minor

stakes in New Jersey and Maryland.

NORMAN ASBJORNSON (Real Quiet) pleased

trainer Chris Grove with his physical condition in the aftermath of his

11th-place finish in the Preakness.

"We're not terribly disappointed with his effort in the

Preakness," Grove said. "He'll go in Pennsylvania-bred races from here."

SWAY AWAY, a son of 2005 Preakness winner Afleet Alex, bore little

resemblance to his celebrated sire in a 12th-place finish that had trainer Jeff Bonde scratching his head.

The conditioner was on a plane back to California Sunday morning and his bay

charge was to follow him later in the day for an as-yet undetermined summer

schedule. The Belmont Stakes is not part of that plan.

A groom attending the colt said he came out of the race "sound"

and he was resting comfortably in his stall in the Pimlico Stakes Barn shortly

after 8 a.m. (EDT) on Sunday.

Trainer Wesley Ward was back in Kentucky Sunday as FLASHPOINT (Pomeroy) awaited a van ride to the BWI Airport to return to Keeneland and begin the

second half of his three-year-old campaign as a sprinter.

"There are some pretty good races out there for him," Ward said

of the Preakness pacesetter who tired badly and finished last. "We know he's got

plenty of speed and he's a talented colt. We'll give him some rest and see

what's out there."