Trainer Tom Amoss confirmed early Monday that the filly Ria Antonia will race in the Preakness and will have Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel aboard.
“It’s time to roll the dice,” said Amoss, acknowledging the filly will be a long price. “California Chrome is absolutely the horse to beat, but beyond that, I think we’re in the mix.”
CYPRESS, Calif. -- With white hooves on all four feet, Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome always has needed a little extra attention to hoof care, and his trainer, Art Sherman, said blacksmith Judd Fisher came up with a unique solution. California Chrome races in glue-on shoes, but the shoes are not glued on, they are affixed with nails.
The shoe, not the glue, is the reason, Sherman said. The shoes that California Chrome wears “help so he doesn’t go back on his heels,” Sherman said.
Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome came onto the track for his daily routine early Sunday morning. Under regular exercise rider Willie Delgado, the colt spent about 20 minutes on the track, backtracking to the wire in a jog, then galloping about 1 3/4 miles. As usual, everything was accomplished rather slowly, carefully, and without incident.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ria Antonia breezed a half-mile in 47.60 seconds early Sunday at Churchill Downs in preparation for a possible run against males in the Preakness. Trainer Tom Amoss said afterward he expected a decision on whether to send the filly to Pimlico in Baltimore would be made no later than Monday.
Pablo Del Monte, scratched off the also-eligibles list in the Derby to await the Preakness, breezed six furlongs Saturday in 1:12.20 over the Polytrack surface at Keeneland.
In company with a 3-year-old filly named High Wire Kitten, Pablo Del Monte went in splits of 12.20, 24.80, 36.60, and 48.40, with a seven-furlong out time of 1:25. He finished well clear of his workmate, who went six furlongs in 1:13.
“Pablo Del Monte is doing absolutely super,” said trainer Wesley Ward.
Pablo Del Monte will be on the same Monday charter as California Chrome.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Neither rain nor mud nor a slightly altered schedule could keep Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome from his appointed rounds early Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Heavy overnight rain that lasted into the morning hours led assistant trainer Alan Sherman to send California Chrome out for a routine gallop shortly before 6:30 a.m. Eastern, about a half-hour earlier than usual. Under regular exercise rider Willie Delgado, the colt had no mishaps when spending about 15 minutes on a sloppy, sealed racetrack.
The week of the Kentucky Derby, General a Rod was sold, his new owners desirous of running a second horse in the Derby. General a Rod was in the Derby all right. But he didn’t get a chance to do much running because of a trip that went from bad to worse.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – General a Rod, a troubled 11th in the May 3 Kentucky Derby following a slow start, will return in the May 17 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, trainer Mike Maker said Friday.
“My initial thoughts were not to come back in two weeks,” Maker said. “But after a couple days back, he was full of energy and ate up well following the Derby.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It was business as usual Friday morning for Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome, who turned in another routine gallop at Churchill Downs as his prepares for the second leg of the Triple Crown, the May 17 Preakness at Pimlico in Baltimore.
As is his custom, he went slowly under exercise rider Willie Delgado in his first lap around the Churchill Downs oval before picking up his pace over a gallop of approximately 1 3/4 miles
