Mr. Commons worked seven furlongs in 1:24.40 at Hollywood Park on Friday for the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 21, surprising trainer John Shirreffs and jockey Victor Espinoza with his eagerness.
Dialed In will be shooting for a $5.5 million bonus in the Preakness Stakes on May 21 at Pimlico, but not until very recently did Dale Romans, the trainer of Shackleford, realize that his colt is in line for smaller, albeit significant, bonus as well.
Team Valor's Barry Irwin lived up to his reputation as a maverick by taking an unconventional path to the Kentucky Derby winner's circle with Animal Kingdom. In his views on breeding and training, Irwin is a throwback to a time and a place − maybe 19th-century England − when breeders embraced turf and stamina and had never heard of “breeding to sell.”
Family means everything to Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Graham Motion, something that is reflected both at home with his wife and kids and at the track with his employees.
Marcus Hersh gets all the answers from track announcer Larry Collmus, who recently called his first Kentucky Derby.
Mr. Commons, third in the Santa Anita Derby last month, will be ridden by Victor Espinoza in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 21, trainer John Shirreffs said on Thursday.
Robby Albarado, who was taken off eventual Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom the day before the race, has picked up the mount on King Congie for the $1 million Preakness on May 21, a race in which he will face Animal Kingdom at Pimlico.
Animal Kingdom, the winner of the Kentucky Derby last Saturday at Churchill Downs, had his first piece of light training since the race when he jogged one mile at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland on Wednesday morning, trainer Graham Motion said. Motion said his “inclination” at this point was to bring Animal Kingdom from Fair Hill to Pimlico on May 20, after training him that morning at Fair Hill, which is about a one-hour drive from Pimlico.
