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."

"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."