Preakness Stakes (gr. I) contenders Tiger Walk and Zetterholm both got a good feel for the Pimlico Race Course surface during their final works May 13.
Graded stakes-placed Tiger Walk was shipped to Pimlico from his home base at Sagamore Farm, which is owned by Kevin Plank and nearby in Glyndon, Md. The colt worked four furlongs in :47.60 under Horacio Karmanos.
"He was awesome," said trainer Ignacio Correas about the son of Tale of the Cat —Majestic Trail, by Kris S. "It was a little bit faster than I wanted, but it was still good."
During the work, Tiger Walk wore "cheater" blinkers and will wear them for the first time in the Preakness, according to Correas, who added he hopes the equipment change will improve the colt’s focus.
"Especially on the turns, he’s been losing ground," he said. "It’s like coming into the turn he’s three lengths behind the pace and coming home, it’s like seven or eight lengths, and then he’s closing ground. So we’re trying to avoid that."
Tiger Walk has started three times this year, with all his races in graded stakes at Aqueduct Race Course. He finished third in the Wither Stakes (gr. III) and finished fourth in both the Gotham Stakes (gr. III) and the Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I).
"Even though he’s been competitive, he still needs to step up," Correas said. "It’s a tough race, but you cannot win unless you’re in. So, we’re going to try our best, and he’s going to try his best too."
Kent Desormeaux will ride Tiger Walk for the first in the May 19 Preakness.
Zetterholm also worked May 13. The colt owned by Winter Park Partners was out on the track at 6:50 a.m. for a leisurely tour, then returned around 8:30 a.m. for a five-furlong work that he completed in 1:01 2/5.
Exercise rider Mario Madrid was in the irons. Zetterholm is in the care of assistant trainer Blake Dutrow, the 20-year-old nephew of trainer Richard Dutrow Jr.
"We just got him out and jogged him so he could see the track and know what he was going to be facing when he came out," Blake Dutrow said. "He loved it. He went out, came back to the barn and knew he was going to breeze. He came out and did his thing the right way."
Zetterholm is a son of Silver Train—Holy Wish, by Lord At War. He was shipped from Aqueduct to Pimlico May 12 and is has premium lodging in the barn area; he stabled in Stall 40, the spot in the stakes barn reserved for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner. The stall was open because trainer Doug O’Neill chose to use Barn D so he could keep Derby winner I'll Have Another , his millionaire stable pony Lava Man, and three other runners together.
Zetterholm shipped from Aqueduct to Pimlico Saturday and settled into Stall 40, the space usually reserved in the Pimlico Stakes Barn for the Kentucky Derby winner. The stall was available because Derby-winning trainer Doug O’Neill opted to use Barn D so he could keep I’ll Have Another, three other runners and stable pony Lava Man together.
In other Preakness news, trainer Mike Harrington confirmed that Creative Cause , who finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby, will be entered in the Preakness.
"At this point in time, I’m definitely coming," Harrington said. "The only reason I wouldn’t come is if something went awry between now and Wednesday morning, when he gets on the airplane. As of now, we’re coming."
Creative Cause finished a close second to I’ll Have Another in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) prior to the Kentucky Derby. The colt by Giant's Causeway —Dream of Summer, by Siberian Summer, is owned by Heinz Steinmann.
Harrington sent Creative Cause out for a one-mile jog May 13 and then had the exercise rider pick up the pace with a two-minute lick for a mile.
Bodemeister , who finished second in the Kentucky Derby, galloped a little more than a mile under exercise rider George Alvarez on a sloppy Churchill Downs track May 13. Alvarez ran stablemate Liaison through a similar routine earlier in the day.
Trainer Bob Baffert is expected to be at the track May 14 to oversee their works.
Bodemeister, a son of Empire Maker —Untouched Talent, by Storm Cat, is owned by Zayat Stables and Mike and Tiffany Moreno, who bought a portion of the colt from Ahmed Zayat prior to the Kentucky Derby. Liaison, by Indian Charlie, is owned by Arnold Zetcher.
Churchill-based trainer Dale Romans opted to postpone a work for Cozzetti because of sloppy conditions and instead sent the colt out for a 1 1/2-mile gallop under exercise rider Romero Cordache. Jose Lezcano has the riding assignment on Cozzetti, a colt by Cozzene.
Other Preakness contenders expected to work May 14 at Churchill Downs include Stonestreet Stables’ Hierro (by Hard Spun ) and J. Kirk and Judy Robison’s Isn't He Clever (by Smarty Jones ).