"He took the flight just fine and he has become such a media ham. He's just a very laid back horse," said Azeff as a substantial media contingent was on hand to greet the roan/gray son of Maria's Mon. The colt was bedded down in the traditional Stall 40 in the Preakness barn reserved each year for the Derby winner. "It's not certain that he'll have a work here. He's so aggressive in his gallops he gets a lot out of it. If he's not fit enough now but when John gets here, he'll decide and it would probably come (workout) either Saturday or Sunday."
John Oxley's Kentucky Derby hero Monarchos arrived at Pimlico Race Course Wednesday with plans to gallop under regular exercise rider Bryan Beccia Thursday.Monarchos and Waterfall Stable's Preakness prospect Percy Hope were among six horses on a Tex Sutton charter flight from Louisville that landed at Baltimore-Washington International Airport at approximately 12:50 p.m. and came through the Pimlico Stable gate at about 2 p.m.Trained by John Ward, Jr., Monarchos was accompanied on the flight by 3-year-old stablemate Hero's Tribute and a maiden, as well as the stable pony, and arrived under the supervision of assistant trainer Yvonne Azeff. Ward is due in Baltimore Saturday.