Dublin, New Shooters Take Aim at Super Saver

Pimlico Race Course officials said May 3 that Dublin  , seventh in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), will be shipping to Pimlico Race Course next Tuesday, May 11 to prepare for the $1 million Preakness Stakes (gr. I) on Saturday, May 15.

D. Wayne Lukas, who is tied for second in Preakness wins with five, trains Dublin, who finished a neck behind Super Saver in the Arkansas Derby (gr. I) in a three-way photo with winner Line of David.

While Dublin is the only Derby starter confirmed to face Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver   in the Preakness, other Derby horses still considering the Preakness are Paddy O'Prado   (third), Lookin At Lucky   (sixth) and Jackson Bend (12th). Make Music for Me (fourth) and Conveyance   (15th) have not totally ruled out another chance at Super Saver.

Meanwhile, trainer Todd Pletcher, who spent early May 3 at Churchill Downs overseeing his Kentucky contingent, said Super Saver   would return to the track May 5.

"He is doing well. His appetite is good, he is feeling good," Pletcher said. "Everything in the first 48 hours is very good."

Pletcher returned to New York May 3 and said he would be back in Louisville later in the week to make a decision on whether to breeze Super Saver before the Preakness or gallop him up to the race. Super Saver is scheduled to ship to Pimlico  Wednesday, May 12.

Trainer Bob Baffert said both Conveyance and Kentucky Derby favorite Lookin At Lucky, who walked the shedrow May 3,  have a 50-50 chance of going to Baltimore.

Noble's Promise  , who had the lead in the Derby at the quarter pole but was overtaken by Super Saver and Calvin Borel and finished fifth, has been moved from “doubtful” to “possible” by trainer Kenny McPeek after meeting with the managing partners of Chasing Dreams Racing 2008 this afternoon at McPeek’s Magdalena Farm in Lexington.

 “He ran a great race,” added McPeek. “ He is a special colt. Does he have distance limitations? We have to admit he might have them. Do we tinker and see if we can get him to go that far? We’re willing to try.”

Trainer Nick Zito said the day after the Derby that runner-up Ice Box is "doubtful."

More than a half-dozen new shooters are expected to test Super Saver in the Preakness, including stablemate Aikenite  , who is scheduled to breeze May 9, according to Pletcher.

Another newcomer to the Triple Crown Trail is Schoolyard Dreams, who finished ahead of Super Saver in the March 13 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III). In his last start, trainer Derek Ryan’s colt finished fourth in the Wood Memorial (gr. I).

"The horse had a minor infection before the Wood," said  Ryan, who saddled Musket Man to a third-place finish in the 2009 Derby and Preakness. "The jock (Ramon Dominguez) told me that the hole closed up on him and he had to check out. That cost us the race and the chance to go to the Derby. It might be a blessing in disguise because he’s been doing great since then."

Ryan plans to work Schoolyard Dreams either May 5 or 6 at Monmouth Park in company with Ponzi Scheme, another 3-year-old in his stable.

Trainers Mike Machowsky (Caracortado) and Graham Motion (Turf Melody) have scheduled weekend works at Santa Anita and Pimlico, respectively, in final preparation for the Preakness.

Caracortado won the first five races of his career, including the Robert Lewis Stakes (gr. II), but finished third in the San Felipe (gr. II) and did not have enough graded earnings to land a spot in the Derby after running fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I). Turf Melody has finished off the board in three starts this year, all grade III races.

Tony Dutrow, who grew up on the backside at Laurel Park where his father, Dickie Dutrow ,was a legendary trainer, would be represented by his first starter in a Triple Crown race if A Little Warm runs in the Preakness.

"We are definitely hoping to run in the Preakness," said Dutrow from his Philadelphia Park headquarters. "He just had a walk day today and will resume training tomorrow, galloping at Delaware Park. A workout is tentatively scheduled for the weekend."

Dutrow was impressed with Super Saver’s performance.

"I thought he was a very live horse going into the Derby," added Dutrow." I think if he comes into the Preakness in the same way he’s going to be a serious horse. He has been very well managed."

The first three finishers in the Derby Trial—Hurricane Ike, Aikenite   and Pleasant Prince—are expected to run in the Preakness.

Hurricane Ike is one of three horses Sadler is leaving at Churchill Downs from his nine-horse contingent that came in for Derby week. The remainder of that group, including  Derby runners Sidney’s Candy (17th) and Line of David (18th), are scheduled to return to California May 4. Hurricane Ike is scheduled to work twice leading up to the Preakness, including tomorrow morning at Churchill Downs.

"He is a horse that is on the improve," Sadler said. "He is not far behind the other two. He just had some minor things happen during the Derby trail but he is a pretty nice horse."

Owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Pleasant Prince has five in the money finishes in nine career starts, including a second in the Florida Derby (gr. I) where he lost a photo to Ice Box. He will train at Keeneland before shipping to Baltimore May 12.

"He just doesn’t want any part of a mile and the Derby Trial was almost like a workout for him," trainer Wesley Ward said. "He got up for third just in a gallop. He has been training great at Keeneland ever since."

Ward plans on breezing the colt a sharp five-furlongs May 9.

"I want to make sure of his fitness and make sure he comes out the work with everything in good order," Ward said. "He’s just an easy, beautiful horse to train. He does everything right. He’s really a good feeling colt when he’s out on the track but he’s goes back to the barn he just lays down and sleeps all day. He’s just a wonderful horse to train. He doesn’t have any physical issues, no problems to him."

All three Derby Trial horses will ship to Pimlico May 12, on a Tex Sutton plane that will also include Super Saver.

The Preakness field may have lost a contender in Bushwhacked. Hall of Fame conditioner Jonathan Sheppard reports the son of Posse has a temperature of 103.

"We are going to be very cautious with him, and with a race as important as the Preakness only two weeks away, we will have to see," Sheppard said. "We are looking for improvement, but right now it appears the race is unlikely."

The Preakness field is limited to 14 starters. If more are properly nominated by  May 12 the day of the post position draw, the starters will be determined with the first seven horses given preference by the highest lifetime earnings in graded stakes. The next four starters will be determined by the highest lifetime earnings in all "non-restricted stakes," which means those stakes whose conditions contain no restrictions other than age or sex. The remaining three starters will be determined by the highest lifetime earnings in all races.