Zito willing to chase $5.5M Preakness bonus with beaten Kentucky Derby favorite Dialed In

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Dialed In, who finished eighth as the favorite in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, will come right back in two weeks for the Preakness Stakes, a situation that would mean a victory in that race would be worth far more to him than to the Derby winner, Animal Kingdom.

Dialed In won both the Holy Bull Stakes and the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park earlier this year. That made him eligible for a $5.5 million bonus from MI Developments, the parent company of both Gulfstream and Pimlico, if he were to also win the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 21.

The lucrative bonus was one of the reasons cited by trainer Nick Zito on Sunday morning as worth pursuing the Preakness with Dialed In.

“All horses are different,” Zito said outside his Churchill Downs barn. “This horse might like being wheeled right back. And, you’re right, we’ve thought about the big bonus.”

Zito said Dialed In had his late rush compromised by the surprisingly slow pace in the Derby, and was proud his colt rallied from last place in the field of 19 to eighth in the final half-mile.

“He still came with his run,” Zito said. “He came back good. That’s the important thing. We certainly want to go on to Baltimore.”

Zito said Dialed In would likely remain at Churchill Downs for the next 1 1/2 weeks before flying to Maryland a few days before the Preakness.