Fellowship heads dozen Casse horses bound for Preakness weekend stakes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – One race does not a Preakness weekend make.

In that vein, Mark Casse is loading up the van and moving to Baltimore – at least with a decent chunk of his Kentucky-based stable.

Norm Casse, the trainer’s son and assistant, said a dozen of their horses will be vanned early next week to Pimlico Race Course for stakes engagements on the May 20-21 Preakness weekend. Fellowship, who returned to training for the first time early Wednesday at Churchill Downs after finishing fourth in the Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard last Saturday, is definite for the May 21 Preakness, Casse confirmed.

“They’ll leave Monday afternoon and get there Tuesday morning,” he said. “I don’t know if they’ve got room in the Preakness barn for all these horses or not.”

Among those Casse horses are Za Approval and Conquest Typhoon for the Dixie Stakes, Theogony for the Allaire duPont, Moon King for the Sir Barton, Sky My Sky for the Hilltop, and as many as three starters for the Gallorette.

Meanwhile, Tex Sutton tentatively has scheduled equine charter flights from Louisville to Baltimore for Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. Steve Asmussen said he will partake by sending half a dozen horses to Pimlico for stakes, although he continues to be noncommittal about whether Gun Runner will be part of his shipment. Gun Runner returned to training early Wednesday in his first day back since finishing third in the Derby.

“I thought he went very well,” said Asmussen. “I’m happy with him.” As to whether Gun Runner will run in the Preakness: “No immediate decision will be made.”

Exaggerator, the Derby runner-up, will leave here for Pimlico by van Sunday and arrive Monday. The Keith Desormeaux-trained colt returned to the track with a one-mile gallop Tuesday and had an easy jog Wednesday.