Preakness Stakes Contender News & Notes: May 15, 2017

  • Royal Mo, who failed to draw into the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby as an also-eligible entrant, suffered a career-ending fractured sesamoid in his right front ankle while working for the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 14.
  • Kentucky Derby champion Always Dreaming schooled at the Pimlico gate on May 14 and will gallop over the course and visit the paddock during the week leading up to the second leg of the Triple Crown.
  • Steve Asmussen trainees Lookin at Lee and Hence, 2nd and 11th, respectively, in the Kentucky Derby, are slated to breeze for the Preakness on May 15 at Churchill Downs.
  • Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille winner Term of Art will leave Santa Anita for Pimlico on May 16 and have blinkers back on when he runs in the Preakness.
  • Derby show finisher Battle of Midway, who is likely to return in either Belmont Park’s Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes on June 10 or Santa Anita’s Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes on June 24, has a longer range summer target of Monmouth Park’s Grade 1 Haskell Invitational Stakes on July 30.
  • Derby fifth-place finisher Practical Joke will most likely make his next start in the Dwyer Stakes.
  • Gormley appears to be headed to the Belmont Stakes.

    Gormley appears to be headed to the Belmont Stakes.

    Gormley and Irap, graded stakes winners in April but unplaced in the Kentucky Derby, are candidates for the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 10.

  • J Boys Echo, who finished 15th in the G1 Kentucky Derby, is being pointed to the G3 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows July 7.
  • Thunder Snow, who was pulled up after bucking repeatedly out of the Kentucky Derby gate, is now under consideration for the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh on May 27.
  • Timeline, who remained undefeated in three starts with his victory in the May 13 Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park, will target the Haskell Invitational and likely use Monmouth Park’s Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes on June 18 as prep for that.
  • Peter Pan Stakes runner-up Meantime and fourth-place finisher Take Your Guns are under consideration for the final leg of the Triple Crown.
  • Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes victor Big Score is being pointed to the grassy Grade 1 Belmont Derby on July 8 at Belmont Park.