Preakness: Monday notes

From the Maryland Jockey Club

Baltimore

Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown had another easy morning Monday, jogging one mile over the muddy track at Churchill Downs under exercise rider Michelle Nevin in preparation for Saturday’s 133rd running of the Preakness Stakes. Trainer Richard Dutrow said the colt went well in his once-around trip around the course. Since Big Brown scored his decisive Derby victory on May 3, Dutrow has limited the colt to a light exercise routine of gallops when the track is fast and jogging when it is wet. Dutrow said Big Brown will likely gallop Tuesday morning. Big Brown is scheduled to ship from Churchill Downs to Pimlico on Wednesday.

Harlem Rocker a no show

Trainer Todd Pletcher said Monday that unbeaten Harlem Rocker will skip the Preakness and is headed to the Canadian Triple Crown series. Pletcher’s other Preakness candidate, Behindatthebar, remains on course for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. Harlem Rocker, an Ontario-bred son of Macho Uno is owned by Frank Stronach, chairman of Magna Entertainment, which owns the Maryland Jockey Club tracks, Pimlico and Laurel Park.

“I spoke to Mr. Stronach this morning and we’ve decided to take a conservative approach,” Pletcher said. “We’re going to point toward the Queen’s Plate (G1) and we’ll look for some bigger races down the road.”

The Queen’s Plate will be run June 22 at Woodbine in suburban Toronto.

Behindatthebar, winner of the Lexington Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on April 19, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.13 at Belmont Park Sunday. He walked the shedrow Monday morning.

“I thought he worked well,” Pletcher said. “It’s the first time we’ve worked him on a traditional dirt track and he seemed to handle it real well. He came out of it well, so he’s ready to go.”

Jockey David Flores, who has ridden the colt in four of his five career starts, including all three victories, will be aboard in the Preakness. Pletcher said the colt is likely to be shipped from Belmont Park to Baltimore Saturday morning. Behindatthebar began his career in California with trainer Craig Dollase and raced and trained on the state’s synthetic racing surfaces. In his only start in the East, he came from well off the pace to win the Lexington by one length.

Gayego may be in

Trainer Paulo Lobo reported Monday morning that a start in the Preakness Stakes by Cubanacan Stables’ Gayego is under consideration.

“I’m going to decide (Tuesday). We are going to have a meeting,” Lobo said from Southern California. “I’m going to track him in the morning, then we’ll make a decision.”

Gayego, the Arkansas Derby (G2) winner, finished a troubled 17th in the Kentucky Derby, in which he had to be steadied in traffic after getting off to a sluggish start. Lobo said his colt never got into the race after his early troubles.

“That’s the reason we are thinking about (the Preakness),” he said. “He’s very happy right now and he came back very sound.”

Giant Moon breeze awaits break in weather

Before heading to Saratoga Springs for the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Awards Banquet, trainer Richard Schosberg sent the Giant’s Causeway colt to Belmont Park’s training track for a 1¼ -mile gallop Monday morning. Giant Moon is a finalist for the champion 2-year-old New York-bred of 2007 award. The winners will be announced Monday night at the Gideon Putnam Hotel event. Schosberg has been dealing with the wet weather that reached the East Coast on Sunday as he completes the tune-up for the Preakness. Giant Moon will have a half-mile breeze this week before shipping to Pimlico.

“We took him out early before the rain started,” Schosberg said. “Depending on when the rain stops and depending on what I think of the track when I first see it in the morning, he’ll either work tomorrow (Tuesday) or more likely Wednesday.”

Schosberg said the breeze will take place on the main track at Belmont.

“Today he galloped on the training track because the main track was sealed up and the training track was harrowed, so it was a much better surface,” Schosberg said. “He’s much more comfortable on the big track. If it’s in good shape at 9 o’clock then we’ll go tomorrow (Tuesday), but we don’t want to do too much with him anyway. If he goes Wednesday then he goes Wednesday.”

Schosberg is bringing a fresh colt to the 133rd Preakness.

“He does well with time between races,” Schosberg said. “He’s always run with at least month between races. It seems like that is his best. He needed the Wood, for sure, because he got nothing out of the Gotham. The six weeks between the Wood and now I think will be good for him. He’s got to step it up. It’s a whole different league of horses, but he represented himself well in the Wood. I think if he had gotten anything out of the Gotham, he would have been pretty tough in the Wood. He only got beat two lengths and basically he hadn’t run in 13 weeks because I have to toss the Gotham out from a physical fitness standpoint.”

Hey Byrn on long ride

Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. reported that Hey Byrn was loaded on a Pimlico-bound van at 10 a.m. Monday morning, along with stablemate and Pimlico Special entrant Gottcha Gold. Hey Byrn, who won the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park in his most recent start, galloped 1½ miles under exercise rider Peter Shelton at Calder Race Course before embarking on a road trip that is expected to be completed Tuesday morning. Hey Byrn is owned by Beatrice Oxenberg, a longtime client of Plesa.

“I’ve been training horses for her for 25 years. Any success I’ve had I have to give credit to her and her (late) husband (Bernie),” said the Calder Race Course Hall of Famer. “They’re the ones who got me started.”