What a fortnight ago appeared to be the pinnacle of Gary Young's career now has the potential to be added to his lengthy list of crushing disappointments at Churchill Downs. But while the prospect of Medina Spirit being disqualified from the Kentucky Derby is a significant blow, it doesn't detract from Young's body of work.
Ten 3-year-olds led by the controversial first-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, Medina Spirit, have passed the entry box for the $1 million Preakness Stakes, to be run for the 146th time Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.
Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore will allow Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit to be entered in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, according to Craig Robertson, the attorney for the horse’s trainer, Bob Baffert.
Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit was treated with an anti-fungal ointment containing betamethasone, the substance detected in his post-Derby blood sample, up until the day prior to the race, trainer Bob Baffert said in a statement released Tuesday.
The attorney for Bob Baffert is prepared to file a motion for a temporary restraining order that would prohibit Pimlico Race Course from denying Baffert the ability to enter Medina Spirit in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, the attorney, Craig Robertson, said Monday morning.
Midnight Bourbon figures to be one of the main contenders on Saturday in the Preakness, and he tuned up for the race on Monday morning at Churchill Downs with a half-mile drill in 50.20 seconds, standard stuff for trainer Steve Asmussen five days out from a race.
Six years after the 2015 Kentucky Derby victory that kicked off his Triple Crown sweep, an already huge month of May for American Pharoah could get even more significant.
Medina Spirit went through a “stiff, open gallop” off his May 1 Derby victory, and Concert Tour breezed five furlongs in 1:00.40 on Sunday morning at Churchill Downs, according to clocker John Nichols.
On the morning after he confirmed Risk Taking would join Crowded Trade in the starting gate for next Saturday’s $1 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, trainer Chad Brown put the two together Saturday morning at Belmont Park for their final serious workout before the race.
Risk Taking, the 7-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park, will scratch from that race and instead run in the $1 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico next Saturday, trainer Chad Brown said Friday.
