Keeneland: Wise Dan caps Maker's 46 preparation with five-furlong breeze

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Wise Dan had the final breeze before his return to action next week, going five furlongs early Tuesday in 1:00.60 over the Polytrack surface at his Keeneland home base.

The work was the sixth for the reigning two-time Horse of the Year since he had his customary winter break. Trainer Charlie LoPresti confirmed afterward that he intends to run the 7-year-old Wise Dan in the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile on April 11 on the Keeneland turf.

“Unless he stubs his toe between now and then, yes, we’re running,” said LoPresti, who trains Wise Dan for owner-breeder Morton Fink. “From all I can see, we’re good to go.”

LoPresti added he might have Wise Dan “blow out a quarter-mile or three-eighths early next week, but I’ll wait and see on that.”

Exercise rider Damien Rock was aboard Wise Dan when the gelding breezed well before dawn. The official splits from Keeneland clockers were 13.20, 25.60, and 37.40, with out times of 1:13.20 for six furlongs and 1:27.20 for seven furlongs.

LoPresti said Wise Dan had his major work the prior week when going six furlongs in 1:13.60.

“He got a really good blow out of that,” he said. “The track was a little deeper, and he really got after it.”

LoPresti said if Wise Dan runs in the Maker’s 46 as expected, he is inclined to run back on Kentucky Derby Day in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic. Those are the same two races that started off the 2013 campaign for the gelding. LoPresti and Fink both have said they intend to vary the schedule this year for Wise Dan, who mostly ran in grass races at or about a mile in 2012 and 2013.

Only a handful of opponents are likely for the $300,000 Maker’s 46. Lochte is confirmed, while Reload and Za Approval are among the possibles from a nominations list of 27. Entries will be taken Tuesday, April 8.

Successful Dan out of training

LoPresti reported that Successful Dan, the 8-year-old half-brother to Wise Dan, has been taken out of serious training after a recurrence of a ligament problem was diagnosed last week.

“It’s nothing you would really notice, except we want to be very careful with him,” said LoPresti. “He’s carrying just a little inflammation in the same ligament he injured a while back. We’re going to tack-walk him a couple of weeks and see where we are with him after that.”

Successful Dan, also bred and owned by Fink, is less than $2,000 away from the $1 million in earnings.