Preakness 2022: Yakteen sending recent Santa Anita winner Armagnac
Armagnac, who won a first-level allowance at Santa Anita last Sunday, on Saturday became the latest horse to jump into the field for the May 21 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, according to trainer Tim Yakteen, who said Irad Ortiz Jr. would have the mount.
The Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, currently has 12 horses under various levels of consideration for the race, but Zandon, the third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, is highly unlikely to run, and Creative Minister, Rattle N Roll, and Shake Em Loose are only possible.
The race could have as few as eight or nine entries on Monday, when the Preakness will be drawn. With Derby winner Rich Strike passing the race, the prospective field is headed by Epicenter, the runner-up in the Derby, and the filly Secret Oath, who won the Kentucky Oaks.
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Armagnac, going without blinkers for the first time, was a 4 1/4-length winner of the allowance race while earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 93. It was his second start since moving to Yakteen from previous trainer Bob Baffert, who is serving a 90-day suspension that lasts until July 2.
In his first start for Yakteen, Armagnac finished fourth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby behind current stablemates Taiba and Messier. Armagnac and Messier are owned by a partnership headed by SF Racing and Starlight Racing.
Taiba and Messier ran in the Kentucky Derby, finishing 12th and 15th, respectively, but both are passing the Preakness.
Armagnac, by Quality Road, has won twice in five starts. His only other win came against maidens at Santa Anita on Jan. 21. He has made two stakes starts. In addition to the Santa Anita Derby, Armagnac finished sixth of seven in the Grade 2 San Felipe, won by Forbidden Kingdom.
Sunday work will determine Shake Em Loose's status
The status of potential Preakness entrant Shake Em Loose will likely be determined following the gelding’s scheduled workout at Laurel Park on Sunday morning.
Reached by telephone on Saturday, trainer Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon mentioned that Shake Em Loose will breeze five furlongs on turf, possibly in company with stablemate Can the Queen, a 6-year-old mare best known for winning the Sensible Lady Turf Dash last summer at Pimlico. Can the Queen finished fourth against males in the King T. Leatherbury Stakes at Laurel on April 23.
Shake Em Loose galloped “awesome” on Saturday morning, according to Sanchez-Salomon, who cross-entered Shake Em Loose in Wednesday’s $150,000 Caesars Stakes for 3-year-olds going a mile on the grass at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Shake Em Loose’s participation in the Caesars “is a very small possibility, but a really long shot,” according to Sanchez-Salomon. “I’m planning to run here [Pimlico].”
The Preakness isn’t the only Pimlico stakes race this week that Sanchez-Salomon is considering for Shake Em Loose. The claimer-turned-multiple stakes winner is also possible for the $100,000 James W. Murphy for 3-year-olds turf milers.
“The Preakness is going to be tough, and I don’t want to kill my horse’s heart,” Sanchez-Salomon admitted. “I just want to let him be a horse. He’ll tell me tomorrow.”
Shake Em Loose was bred in Kentucky by Pillar Property Services Inc. Sold for $1,000 as a Fasig-Tipton October yearling, Shake Em Loose raced six times for trainer Hamilton Smith before being claimed out of a $16,000 maiden claiming victory by Sanchez-Salomon on behalf of J R Sanchez Racing Stable.
Shake Em Loose has won three of five starts for Sanchez-Salomon, including the Heft Stakes at Laurel on Dec. 26 and the Private Terms there on March 19. He finished third in his most recent outing, the Federico Tesio at Pimlico on April 16.
A son of Shakin It up out of the West by West mare Cash No Credit, Shake Em Loose has only started once on grass, finishing 11th in a maiden special weight at Laurel on Oct. 8.
- additional reporting by Dan Illman
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147th Preakness, Grade 1, $1.5 million, 1 3/16 miles, May 21 |
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| Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Last Race |
| Armagnac | Tim Yakteen | Irad Ortiz Jr. | SA alw, 1st |
| Creative Minister | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | CD alw, 1st |
| Early Voting | Chad Brown | Jose Ortiz | Wood Memorial, 2nd |
| Epicenter | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario | Ky Derby, 2nd |
| Happy Jack | Doug O'Neill | Tyler Gaffalione | Ky Derby, 14th |
| Rattle N Roll | Kenny McPeek | Corey Lanerie | Blue Grass, 6th |
| Secret Oath | D. Wayne Lukas | Luis Saez | Ky Oaks, 1st |
| Shake Em Loose | Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon | Charlie Marquez | Tesio, 3rd |
| Simplification | Antonio Sano | John Velazquez | Ky Derby, 4th |
| Skippylongstocking | Saffie Joseph, Jr. | Junior Alvarado | Wood Memorial, 3rd |
| Un Ojo | Ricky Courville | Ramon Vazquez | Ark Derby, 8th |