Up With the Birds, the 2013 Canadian Horse of the Year, is among 10 older horses in a competitive renewal of the Grade 2, $400,000 Dixie Stakes, the lead-in to the Preakness on a 13-race Saturday program at Pimlico.
Bob Baffert began the year with 3-year-old prospects like Hoppertunity, Indianapolis, Midnight Hawk, and Tap It Rich. But when they kicked the gate for the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, his lone representative was Chitu, and he’s down to just one runner, Bayern, for the Preakness Stakes here Saturday at Pimlico.
For most of this month, outside paths have ruled a slow-playing main track, a trend that extends beyond the current meet.
This has been another difficult year for the brethren in the jockey community, with a long list of members on the infirmary list.
Linda Rice, who will make her Preakness debut Saturday with Federico Tesio Stakes winner Kid Cruz, will train for a new racing syndicate, Lady Sheila Stable Two, it was announced Wednesday.
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.
Since winning the Kentucky Derby, Art Sherman has been interviewed by NBC, Fox, TVG, HRTV, and members of print media, including a publication for those of the Jewish faith that wanted to know how this nice Jewish boy came to train the winner of the Derby.
Art Sherman, 77, became the oldest trainer to win the Kentucky Derby when California Chrome prevailed at Churchill Downs, but he won’t be able to claim the same honor for the Preakness if the colt wins here Saturday.
Ring Weekend was scheduled to be the last Preakness starter to arrive at Pimlico. He was to ship down Thursday morning from his base at Fair Hill in northern Maryland.
Pimlico announced last week that for the first time, it will offer a two-day pick-three wager ending with the Preakness. The 50-cent-minimum bet links the Pimlico Special (the 12th of 13 races Friday) with the Dixie Stakes and Preakness on Saturday.
