Eddington Works, Hennig Hopes for Room

(from Aqueduct notes)
Eddington, who remains under consideration for Saturday's 130th Kentucky Derby (gr. I) but would need at least two horses to defect by the time entries are drawn on Wednesday, worked five furlongs over Belmont Park's main track Sunday morning in 1:00.

Jockey Pablo Fragoso was aboard the son of Unbridled, who NYRA clockers caught in fractions of :23 4/5, :35 3/45 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 1/5.

"The track was really dry and they sent two water trucks around it at the break," trainer Mark Hennig said. "I'm happy. He did it easily."

Just in case there are last-minute defections from the Derby field Hennig has made sure he has a flight lined up for Kentucky.

"It would leave on Wednesday right after entries," he said.

Eddington currently lacks the sufficient graded stakes earnings to get into the Kentucky Derby field after finishing third in the Gotham (gr. III) on a muudy track and third in the Wood Memorial (gr. I) at Aqueduct.

And the colt is one of the reasons the graded stakes earnings system, which gives preference to graded stakes earnings when more than the maximum 20 horses are under consideration for the Kentucky Derby, has come under fire by some. Hennig, however, says the current system is fair even though Eddington remains a longshot to run.

"I don't think there is a lot wrong with it," Hennig said. "We had our opportunities. We were pretty unlucky not to be second in the Wood and we were unlucky to hook the type of racetrack we caught in the Gotham."

Hennig said that if Eddington does not get into the Kentucky Derby he would make his next start in the May 15 Preakness (gr. I) at Pimlico.