ELMONT, N.Y. - Lani, the Japanese-based, Kentucky-bred son of Tapit who finished ninth in the Kentucky Derby, is being pointed to both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, trainer Mikio Matsunaga said Wednesday at Belmont Park.
“At the moment we are planning for the Preakness and after that the Belmont,” Matsunaga said through an interpreter.
As the field for the 141st Preakness continues to take shape, plans were confirmed for Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist to return to light training Wednesday morning at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, where the colt arrived Monday evening following a flight from Churchill Downs along with six other horses from the Doug O’Neill stable.
Nyquist will make his first visit to the track at about 8:30 a.m. Eastern, according to a Tuesday afternoon news release from Pimlico. Assistant Jack Sisterson is overseeing the colt while O’Neill is home in California.
Nyquist, the Doug O’Neill-trained winner of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, arrived on Monday evening at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course, the host of the Preakness, and was bedded down in the stall of a former Derby winner who was also trained by O’Neill, according to a release from the track.
About six weeks ago, just a few days before the Florida Derby, owner Paul Reddam said during a lengthy telephone conversation that if Nyquist could get through that race and the Kentucky Derby as he and trainer Doug O’Neill hoped, they believed they’d have a far fresher horse for the Triple Crown than they did four years ago with their 2012 Derby winner, I’ll Have Another.
A revamped Pimlico meet will begin Thursday with the May 21 Preakness Stakes just over the horizon.
The 28-day season, nine fewer than a year ago, is opening later than in past years and will continue further into June. Last year’s meet started April 2 and ran though Belmont Stakes Day, June 6. Closing day this year is June 26.
“I’m curious to see how the shift on the calendar turns out,” said Sal Sinatra, president of the Maryland Jockey Club. “We lost Mother’s Day, but we gained Father’s Day.”
ARCADIA, Calif. - A decision on whether Uncle Lino will start in the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 21 will be made in the next week, trainer Gary Sherlock said on Sunday.
Uncle Lino won the $151,035 California Chrome Stakes in track-record time at Los Alamitos on April 30 to join the list of candidates for the Preakness. At the time, Sherlock said he wanted to assess the colt’s condition and watch the Kentucky Derby before proceeding with plans.
Sherlock said he was left impressed by Nyquist’s win in the Kentucky Derby.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Nyquist, the Kentucky Derby winner, emerged from the race in good order on Sunday morning, according to trainer Doug O’Neill, and was set to head to Baltimore on Monday to begin preparations for the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, on May 21.
CYPRESS, Calif. - The result of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs next weekend will play a key role in whether Uncle Lino progresses to the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 21 following his win in Saturday’s $151,035 California Chrome Stakes at Los Alamitos.
Trainer Gary Sherlock said on Sunday that he wants to assess Uncle Lino’s condition in coming days and analyze the outcome of the Kentucky Derby before finalizing plans.
“He’s acting okay,” Sherlock said. “We have the extra week and we’ll watch the Derby and see what happens there.
“I have no plan B.”
CYPRESS, Calif. - Uncle Lino, who finished third in the $1,009,690 Santa Anita Derby will not start in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7 and will be pointed for the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 21, trainer Gary Sherlock said on Wednesday.
“We won’t go to the Derby with him,” Sherlock said. “I want to go to the Preakness.”
Uncle Lino was beaten 8 1/2 lengths by Exaggerator in the Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles, racing near the front before fading from contention in the final furlong.
If you are keeping score, jockey Jevian Toledo was placed first after finishing second in the Federico Tesio Stakes (race 2) at Laurel Park on Saturday and disqualified from first to second in the Weber City Miss Stakes (race 4).
Mike Trombetta trains In the Navy Now, who was disqualified in the $100,000 Weber City Miss, and A P Majetstic, who was placed first in that race.
"That's never happened to me before," Trombetta said, "having one taken down and another put up."
