Dynamic Impact, Bayern hit track ahead of Preakness

The recent trend of Preakness candidates shipping to Pimlico shortly after

the Kentucky Derby will continue this year with Dynamic Impact scheduled to

arrive on Wednesday, followed by Social Inclusion on Thursday.

In 2012, trainer Doug O'Neill sent I'll Have Another to Baltimore less than

48 hours after his Derby victory. O'Neill followed suit with Goldencents last

year.

Dynamic Impact galloped before the morning renovation break at Churchill

Downs Monday morning with exercise rider Marco Cano up for trainer Mark Casse.

Winner of the Illinois Derby in his most recent start, Dynamic Impact worked

five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 on Saturday morning at Churchill Downs. Casse said

that jockey Miguel Mena will retain the mount for the Preakness.

Bayern, working in company with two-time graded stakes-winning filly Awesome

Baby, drilled five furlongs in :58 1/5 over a fast Churchill Downs racing

surface after Monday morning's renovation break.

Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Rosie Napravnik, Bayern started two

lengths behind and outside of Awesome Baby, who was ridden by Joe Rocco Jr.

Bayern drew to within a length on the turn and finished three lengths in front

while posting the fastest move of 19 at the distance for the morning. Fractions

were :23 and :34 2/5 and a six-furlong gallop out was timed in 1:13 2/5.

Bayern finished first in the Derby Trial on April 26 at Churchill but was

disqualified and placed second behind Embellishing Bob for interference in the

stretch. Napravnik received a three-day suspension that she is serving this

week.

In other Preakness news:

Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome is scheduled to return to the

Churchill Downs track for a jog on Wednesday, reported Alan Sherman, whose

father returned to Southern California Monday and will reunite with his Derby

winner in Baltimore next week for the $1.5 million Preakness on May 17.

Travel plans have not been finalized for California Chrome. He could arrive

next Monday or Wednesday.

Commanding Curve, runner-up to California Chrome in the Derby, walked at

trainer Dallas Stewart's barn Monday morning.

West Point Thoroughbreds, which owns Commanding Curve, also is part of the

ownership of Ring Weekend, a Preakness possible trained by Graham Motion.

"I don't know about any other horses; I'm just training my horse," Stewart

said. "My horse came out of the race good. But it's tough coming back in two

weeks and there are a lot of other races out there."

Joel Rosario, who finished 11th in the Kentucky Derby aboard General a Rod,

will have the Preakness mount aboard Ride On Curlin.

Trainer Billy Gowan was not happy with the ride Hall of Fame jockey Calvin

Borel gave the colt during his seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. Ride

On Curlin broke from post 19 and dropped back to last as Borel took the colt

straight to the rail.

"I told him before the race that he had three-eighths of a mile to work his

way over," Gowan said.

Gowan said Ride On Curlin is doing well and would return to the track

Wednesday.

"He was not tired at all after the Derby. He only ran three-eighths of a

mile," Gowan said. "He was more tired after his seven-eighths work last Sunday."

Owner Daniel Dougherty echoed his trainer's thoughts.

"I walked back with him after the Arkansas Derby and he was tired," Dougherty

said of the runner-up effort. "He wasn't tired Saturday."

Even though his Derby dream was dashed, Dougherty was able to find one

positive going forward with Ride On Curlin.

"It is only two weeks (to the Preakness) and you don't want to leave it all

out there on the track," Dougherty said.

Also headed to the Preakness is speedy Pablo Del Monte, the third-place

finisher in the Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 12.

Trainer Wesley Ward decided to scratch out the Derby rather than have Pablo

Del Monte start from the outside in a 20-horse field. After the Giant's Causeway

colt worked six furlongs in 1:10 4/5 Sunday, Ward said he could have been a

contender in the Derby.

"The way race played out with soft fractions for a Derby and a slow final

time, I really think I would have had a great chance to be at least second,"

Ward said. "I was speaking to my good friend Paul Shanahan and I told him just

that. He said, 'Listen Wesley, nobody remembers who was second. If you really

feel that way and the horse worked as good as he did, maybe we can win the

Preakness and that will be forever.'"

Linda Rice-trained Kid Cruz, the winner of the Private Terms at Laurel and

the Federico Tesio at Pimlico in his last two starts, is scheduled to compete in

the Preakness. The three-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid was claimed from the

Black Swan Stable by Vina Del Mar Thoroughbreds for $50,000 at Aqueduct in

November. Black Swan later bought back into the Kentucky-bred colt.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Hopeful winner Strong Mandate will

not run in the Preakness.

"He's not going," said Lukas, who won his sixth Preakness last May with

Oxbow. "I am going to wait until Saratoga."