05/15/2011 11:24AM

Preakness: Dance City, Saratoga Red get their work done on wet track

By Jay Privman
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Bob Coglianese
Dance City (right), narrowly defeating stablemate Cal Nation in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park in March, is expected to be one of the pacesetters in Saturday's Preakness.

Dance City, who is expected to be a major pace factor in Saturday's Preakness Stakes, and Saratoga Red, whose participation in the second leg of the Triple Crown hinges on the size of the field, both worked five furlongs on an off track on Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.

Dance City was timed in 1:00.20 for five furlongs, equaling the best time of the morning among 20 for the distance. According to Michael McCarthy, the Churchill-based assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, Dance City worked in company with Escort, with exercise rider Fernando Espinoza aboard. Dance City worked after the mid-morning renovation break, when the track was upgraded to good.

PREAKNESS STAKES 2011: Contender profiles, news updates, video, and odds

Dance City most recently was third in the Arkansas Derby, behind Archarcharch and Nehro.

Earlier in the morning, Saratoga Red worked five furlongs in 1:02.80 for trainer D. Wayne Lukas over a track labeled muddy.

Both horses are booked on a charter flight from Kentucky to Maryland on Wednesday, when entries are to be taken and post positions drawn at Pimlico for the Preakness.