Perform will be supplemented to Preakness for $150K
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The connections of Perform will pay a $150,000 supplemental fee to make him eligible to run in the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 20, trainer Shug McGaughey said Monday.
“We’re a go,” McGaughey said.
Perform was not nominated to the Triple Crown by either of the first two deadlines -- $600 by Jan. 28 or $6,000 by March 27-- because he had just a maiden win to his credit from five starts, the win coming on March 11 at Tampa Bay Downs. One of Perform’s maiden losses came by 5 1/2 lengths to Mage, who last Saturday won the Kentucky Derby.
Following his maiden win at Tampa, Perform rallied to win the Federico Tesio at Laurel by a head, earning a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure in the nine-furlong race. The Tesio winner earned an automatic, fees-paid berth into the Preakness for horses that were nominated to the Triple Crown. The starter and entry fees combined are $30,000.
“I thought he moved up a lot going two turns on dirt, he finished strong [in the Tesio],” McGaughey said. “Distance will help him. It’s something we decided we wanted to do.
Perform is a son of Good Magic -- the same sire as Mage -- owned by Woodford Racing, Lane’s End, Phipps Stable, Ken Langone, and Edward Hudson.
Feargal Lynch, who was aboard for the Tesio win and who worked the horse five furlongs at Belmont Sunday morning in 1:00.56, is expected to have the mount in the Preakness, McGaughey said.
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