Preakness hopefuls descend on Pimlico

BALTIMORE – War of Will, the powerful-looking, high-energy War Front colt, who finished eighth but was elevated to seventh after almost falling on the far turn of the Kentucky Derby, was the lone Preakness probable on the Pimlico grounds as of Tuesday morning, but he was expected to have company by nightfall.

D. Wayne Lukas on Tuesday vanned Market King from Churchill Downs to Pimlico and arrived at 3:15 p.m.

"It was a real good trip," Lukas said. "There was no traffic, he ate on the way, and didn't turn a hair."

Anothertwistafate, the El Camino Real Derby winner and Sunland Derby and Lexington Stakes runner-up, was scheduled to be flown from Oakland, Calif., to Newark, N.J., and then van the 3 1/2 hours to Baltimore and arrive at approximately 8 p.m.

Bodexpress, who crossed the wire 14th in the Derby and was elevated one position, Lexington Stakes winner Owendale, and Blue Grass third-place finisher Signalman were sharing a flight from Lexington, Ky., on Tuesday and were expected on the grounds by late afternoon.

But on Tuesday morning, all eyes were on War of Will, who arrived at Pimlico at 3 a.m. Tuesday by van from Kentucky after an 11-hour trip along with his Mark Casse-trained stablemates Flameaway, who is entered in Friday’s Grade 3 Pimlico Special, and Gio Game, who will race Friday in the Grade 3 Allaire duPont Distaff.

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A second flight from Kentucky is due in Wednesday. All Preakness entrants must be on the grounds by noon Thursday. Kelly Rubley, who is based at the Fair Hill Training Center in northern Maryland, planned to train local hero Alwaysmining Thursday and then van to Pimlico.

Flameaway and Gio Game only walked the shed row Tuesday, but assistant trainer Kim Carroll, felt War of Will needed to burn off a little energy and took him out for a one-mile jog over the muddy track.

“The travel all went really well,” Carroll said. “He can be a handful so we just wanted to jog him a lap around the wrong way to let him take a big breath and look around. We’ll gallop him tomorrow.”

War of Will, winner of the Grade 2 Risen Star and Grade 3 Lecomte at Fair Grounds over the winter, figures to go off as one of the top choices in the Preakness, which is expected to attract a field of 12.

Three Pletcher runners arrive

The Todd Pletcher-trained trio of You’re to Blame, Current, and King for a Day, were bedded down Tuesday morning after arriving at Pimlico at 4:20 a.m. after a 16-hour van ride from the Palm Beach Downs training center in South Florida, according to Amy Mullen, a traveling assistant to Pletcher.

You’re to Blame is entered in the Pimlico Special on Friday; Current is scheduled to start start Saturday in the James W. Murphy, a one-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds Saturday; and King for a Day is nominated to Saturday’s Sir Barton, a restricted stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles over the main track.

Pletcher’s other weekend starters, who are yet to arrive, include Always Shopping and Off Topic, who are entered in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan on Friday, and Another Broad, who is set to start in the Grade 3 duPont.

Weather forecast looking good

Although heavy rain forced the cancellation of the last four races at Pimlico last Friday, and it rained steadily Sunday and Monday, the weather forecast calls for dry weather much of the week, with only a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms on Thursday.

The forecast for Preakness Day calls for a high temperature of 76 degrees under cloudy skies.

That is a much better forecast than a year ago, when it rained every day Preakness week and the race, won by Justify, was run over a sloppy, sealed track in foggy conditions.

Potential Preakness Starters
Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Last Race
Alwaysmining	Kelly Rubley	Daniel Centeno	Tesio, 1st
Anothertwistafate	Blaine Wright	Jose Ortiz	Lexington, 2nd
Bodexpress	Gustavo Delgado	John Velazquez	Ky. Derby, 13th
Bourbon War	Mark Hennig	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	Fla. Derby, 4th
Improbable	Bob Baffert	Mike Smith	Ky. Derby, 4th
Laughing Fox	Steve Asmussen	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	OP Invitational, 1st
Market King	D. Wayne Lukas	Jon Court	Blue Grass, 11th
Owendale	Brad Cox	Florent Geroux	Lexington, 1st
Signalman	Kenny McPeek	Brian Hernandez, Jr.	Blue Grass, 3rd
War of Will	Mark Casse	Tyler Gaffalione	Ky. Derby, 7th
Warrior's Charge	Brad Cox	Javier Castellano	OP allowance, 1st
Win Win Win	Mike Trombetta	Julian Pimentel	Ky. Derby, 9th