Santa Anita: O’Neill eyeing Preakness with pair of late starters
ARCADIA, Calif. - The 3-year-olds Friendswith K Mill and Twenty Percent, both trained by Doug O’Neill, were among the late nominations for the Triple Crown last week. On Thursday, O’Neill said he considers the pair to be candidates for the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 17 as opposed to the Kentucky Derby on May 3.
Friendswith K Mill, second in an allowance race at Santa Anita on March 16, could start in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 5, but O’Neill said the $200,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 19 is more likely.
“All the Kentucky Derby preps are tough, but this one might not be as tough,” O’Neill said. “We have Preakness dreams more than Derby dreams.”
Twenty Percent won a maiden race over 5 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on March 22 in his only race. His next start is likely to be the $150,000 Derby Trial over a mile at Churchill Downs on April 26.
“If he runs good there, we would have three weeks to the Preakness,” O’Neill said. O’Neill said minor issues delayed the start of Twenty Percent’s career.“We bought him last April, and it’s been stop, start, stop, start,” O’Neill said. “I wish this was four or five months ago.”