Little Matth Man, a New York-bred colt by Matty G. who has not run since finishing seventh in the Wood Memorial (gr. I) on April 10, breezed a half-mile in :47 flat Monday morning at Philadelphia Park. "He was awesome out there today," said trainer Marty Ciresa. "He was really sharp and needed the work." With jockey Catalino Martinez in the irons, Little Matth Man was fast throughout his work, galloping out six furlongs in 1:14 3/5. "I had him going three-eighths in :34 and change, and the half in :46 4/5," Ciresa said, "and :59 2/5 for five-eighths. He was still going at good clip galloping out. This is a deep track, and you're really working when you go :47 here." Vincent Papandrea's colt, who won the Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct in February, finished third in the Lane's End Stakes (gr. II) at Turfway Park on March 20, which encouraged Ciresa to put him in the Wood. In that race, the colt suffered a displaced palate and finished nearly 11 lengths behind the victorious Tapit. For the Preakness, Little Matth Man will run in new shoes –- three glued on and one nailed on. Ciresa has yet to name a rider for Little Matth Man, who is due to arrive at Pimlico by van on Friday afternoon from Philadelphia Park, a two-hour trip.
Meanwhile, the Nick Zito-trained pair of The Cliff's Edge and Sir Shackleton arrived safely at Pimlico Monday morning to begin their local preparations for Saturday's Preakness. The trainer is expected to be on hand early Tuesday when the two colts go out for their first look at the Pimlico strip. Both worked at Churchill Downs over the weekend.
