Materiality to skip Preakness and await Belmont

ELMONT, N.Y. – Todd Pletcher will not be getting his Preak on. Again.

Pletcher announced Tuesday that Materiality, the Florida Derby winner who finished sixth after early trouble in the Kentucky Derby, will not run in Saturday’s $1.5 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico and instead will be pointed to the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, on June 6.

The decision is in line with Pletcher’s history of not running horses back two weeks after participating in the Kentucky Derby. Including this year, Pletcher has started 43 horses in the Derby, with only three of them running back in the Preakness. Super Saver, the 2010 Kentucky Derby, was the last of that trio, and he finished eighth in the Preakness. Circular Quay (2007) and Impeachment (2000) were the only other horses Pletcher has run in both the Derby and Preakness.

Pletcher’s horses who ran in the Derby – or in a different race at about the same time as the Derby – have come back to run well five weeks later in the Belmont. In 2013, Pletcher won the Belmont with Derby also-ran Palace Malice. In 2007, Pletcher’s filly Rags to Riches won the Belmont five weeks and a day after winning the Kentucky Oaks. Overall, Pletcher has a record of 2-4-2 from 18 starters in the Belmont.

“The bottom line: It’s back in two weeks, a bit quick, and we’ve been successful in the past waiting for the Belmont,” Pletcher said Tuesday at Belmont shortly after Materiality galloped over a main track mostly enveloped in fog. “Just felt like if you run back in two weeks and you make the wrong decision, then you compromise your chances for the Belmont and possibly compromise your chances for some other opportunities this summer. There are a lot of big races besides the Preakness.”

:: Preakness: Contenders and news

Materiality and Carpe Diem, a no-excuse 10th in the Kentucky Derby, were the only two horses he strongly considered running back in the Preakness. Now, Pletcher is pointing those two horses and Peter Pan Stakes winner Madefromlucky to the Belmont. Keen Ice (seventh in the Kentucky Derby), Mubtaahij (eighth), and Frammento (11th) also are pointing to the Belmont.

Javier Castellano, who rode Materiality in the Derby, picked up the mount on Lexington Stakes winner Divining Rod for the Preakness.

As of Tuesday – the day before entries were to be taken and post positions assigned – the Preakness field stood at seven, which would be the smallest field since 1986, when Snow Chief defeated Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand and five others. This year’s field is expected to include the top three finishers from the Derby – American Pharoah, Firing Line, and Dortmund – as well as Danzig Moon, who was fifth in the Derby. Divining Rod, Federico Tesio Stakes winner Bodhisattva, and maiden winner Tale of Verve are the three newcomers to the Triple Crown.

The four horses from the Derby as well as Tale of Verve were scheduled to fly to Baltimore on Wednesday, leaving Louisville, Ky., around 10:30 a.m. Eastern. Divining Rod, based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland, and Bodhisattva, based at Laurel Park, were scheduled to van to Pimlico on Thursday and arrive by noon, the time when all Preakness starters are required to be on the grounds.

If Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah were to win the Preakness, Materiality would be viewed by many as his major threat to claiming the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes. After breaking slowly in the Derby, Materiality raced in 13th position in the 18-horse field. Around the far turn, when Frosted went by him, Materiality seemed to stall and had just one horse beaten at the top of the stretch. Down the lane, Materiality passed 11 horses to finish sixth, beaten 7 3/4 lengths.

“When I left Louisville Saturday night, I wasn’t thinking at all about running in the Preakness,” Pletcher said. “With him, he came back and made me think about it because he seemed to bounce out of it pretty well.”

Baffert runners take it easy

At Churchill Downs in Louisville, trainer Bob Baffert’s Preakness runners, American Pharoah and Dortmund, went through uneventful training routines on a cool Tuesday morning. Both colts galloped about 1 3/8 miles over a track that was fast and freshly harrowed and held a little more moisture than in recent days owing to overnight rain.

As usual, American Pharoah went through his paces very deliberately under exercise rider Jorge Alvarez and was off the track several minutes before Dortmund. Both colts continue to strike grand appearances.

Firing Line, Danzig Moon, and Tale of Verve also went through routine gallops Tuesday at Churchill.

American Pharoah and Dortmund had a more demanding training session Monday. For the last half-mile or so of their Monday gallops, both went in 13 to 14 seconds per furlong.

“Just to wake ‘em up a little bit,” said Baffert.

Baffert said both of his colts were to gallop early Wednesday at Churchill before making the short trip to the Louisville airport. Baffert was to leave Louisville and arrive in Baltimore ahead of them.

◗ The Weather Channel is forecasting a 50 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms in Baltimore for Saturday, with a high temperature of 83 degrees.

– additional reporting by Marty McGee