A Little Warm puts in five furlongs for Preakness

STANTON, Del. A Little Warm, the Louisiana Derby runner-up, completed preparations for a likely run in Saturday s $1 million Preakness Stakes by working five furlongs Monday morning at Delaware Park in 1:01.16, according to Daily Racing Form.

With exercise rider Tessa Bisha in the irons, A Little Warm went his first quarter in 24.50 seconds, and three furlongs in 36.20 seconds, meaning he got his last quarter in 24.96 seconds. Jogging by the finish line on the way to leaving the track, Bisha told trainer Tony Dutrow that she had to keep him on task at the end.

Dutrow, who trains A Little Warm for owner Edward Evans, said he was happy with what he saw in the work.

Looked nice, even and easy the whole way around, Dutrow said. I m certainly happy.

Dutrow said he would talk to Evans and/or racing manager Chris Baker regarding a final decision on A Little Warm s status for the Preakness, but indicated it was likely the horse would run.

Monday s move was the first for A Little Warm since April 25, when he breezed four furlongs in 48.40 seconds at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida. After A Little Warm didn t get into the Kentucky Derby field because of a lack of sufficient graded stakes earnings, he was vanned from Florida to Dutrow s stable at Delaware Park.

After training his first day at Delaware, A Little Warm came down with a temperature that kept him off the track for several days.

Our plans were altered for close to a week, Dutrow said. Nonetheless, I m very happy with him.

John Velazquez is scheduled to ride A Little Warm in the Preakness.