'Perfect' breeze for Ride On Curlin

Ride On Curlin, the seventh-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, worked four furlongs in 50.18 seconds Wednesday over Pimlico’s main track, according to Daily Racing Form. Pimlico clockers caught Ride On Curlin in 49.60 seconds.

DRF timed Ride On Curlin in fractions of 12.98 seconds, 25.16, 37.54, and had him galloping out five furlongs in 1:04.18. Exercise rider Bryan Beccia was aboard for the move, which occurred shortly after the track reopened following the mid-morning renovation break.

On Tuesday, trainer Billy Gowan said he would have been happy with a half-mile move in 52 seconds. On Wednesday, after watching the breeze from the press-box level, Gowan called the move “perfect.”

“You can’t just throw him down,” Gowan said. “You’ve got to let him do a little something. That was good.”

::DRF Live: Reports from training hours at Pimlico 8-9 a.m. ET this week

Gowan expressed frustration over the trip Ride On Curlin got underneath Calvin Borel in the Derby. Breaking from post 18, Borel, as is his wont, maneuvered Ride On Curlin to the rail, and he was last for the opening half-mile behind a rather tepid pace. Ride On Curlin made a move into contention around the turn and then had to be guided nine wide in the stretch, where he made a belated run to finish seventh, beaten 6 3/4 lengths. He was beaten a length for third.

In response, Gowan immediately made a rider switch for the Preakness to Joel Rosario. Last year, Rosario finished fourth in the Preakness aboard Kentucky Derby winner Orb.