Shake Em Loose opts for Murphy Stakes over Preakness
Shake Em Loose will run this weekend at Pimlico.
Only not in the Preakness.
Following a turf workout Sunday morning at Laurel Park, trainer Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon confirmed that Shake Em Loose will instead start in Saturday's $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes for 3-year-olds on grass. The gelding also was cross-entered in Wednesday’s $150,000 Caesars Stakes on turf at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
"I'm very pleased. He worked really good," Sanchez-Salomon said about the half-mile breeze in company with 6-year-old mare Can the Queen. The pair were clocked in 51.20 seconds over a yielding course.
"I worked him one time [on turf] and he was jumping shadows and everything," Sanchez-Salomon added. "But this time, he worked with my nice filly, and he worked awesome."
:: Get ready for the Preakness with DRF past performances, picks, and betting strategies!
Shake Em Loose is a son of Shakin It Up out of the West by West mare Cash No Credit. Despite finishing 11th in his only prior start on grass, a maiden special weight on Oct. 8 at Laurel, Sanchez-Salomon believes Shake Em Loose is bred for the surface.
"I got a nice filly” 6-year-old mare Foggy Dreams, Sanchez-Salomon added." They're by the same sire, and her better races are on the turf. I'm pointing to that turf stat, and he handled the turf course today very well."
Shake Em Loose was bred in Kentucky by Pillar Property Services Inc. Sold for $1,000 as a Fasig-Tipton October yearling, Shake Em Loose raced six times for trainer Hamilton Smith before being claimed out of a $16,000 maiden-claiming victory by Sanchez-Salomon on behalf of J R Sanchez Racing Stable.
Shake Em Loose has won 3 of 5 starts for Sanchez-Salomon, including the Heft on Dec. 26 at Laurel and the Private Terms there March 19. He finished third in his most recent outing, the Federico Tesio on April 16 at Laurel.
Can the Queen, a stakes-winning daughter of Can the Man, will point to Friday's The Very One Stakes for fillies and mares at five furlongs on turf.
|
147th Preakness, Grade 1, $1.5 million, 1 3/16 miles, May 21 |
|||
| Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Last Race |
| Armagnac | Tim Yakteen | Irad Ortiz Jr. | SA alw, 1st |
| Creative Minister | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | CD alw, 1st |
| Early Voting | Chad Brown | Jose Ortiz | Wood Memorial, 2nd |
| Epicenter | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario | Ky Derby, 2nd |
| Happy Jack | Doug O'Neill | Tyler Gaffalione | Ky Derby, 14th |
| Rattle N Roll | Kenny McPeek | Corey Lanerie | Blue Grass, 6th |
| Secret Oath | D. Wayne Lukas | Luis Saez | Ky Oaks, 1st |
| Simplification | Antonio Sano | John Velazquez | Ky Derby, 4th |
| Skippylongstocking | Saffie Joseph, Jr. | Junior Alvarado | Wood Memorial, 3rd |
| Un Ojo | Ricky Courville | Ramon Vazquez | Ark Derby, 8th |