Twin Creeks Racing Stables Kentucky homebred Law Professor, last out winner of the Excelsior at Aqueduct on April 1, breezed a half-mile in :49.36 Sunday morning over the Belmont dirt training track in preparation for the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special (G3) on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course.
“He came out of the race really good, I was really happy with him. He worked an easy half-mile today,” trainer Rob Atras said.
The 5-year-old Constitution gelding equaled a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure in the nine-furlong Excelsior. With Manny Franco up from post 2, Law Professor raced to the inside of Miles D and eventual pacesetter Keystone Field into the first turn before getting off the rail to stalk from second position. He took command at the five-sixteenths and drew clear to a comfortable 4 1/4-length score in a final time of 1:50.34.
“There were a couple anxious moments last race into the first turn where we thought we'd have the lead and two horses wanted to go after him,” Atras said. “Manny had to tap the breaks a little and then he got him outside and he was a little bit rank, but he did a good job to get him to settle down and into a rhythm.”
The Excelsior score came on the heels of a distant third-place finish under Jose Ortiz in the Razorback Handicap (G3) in February at Oaklawn Park that the victorious Last Samurai exited to win the Essex (G3) at the Hot Springs, Arkansas oval and runner-up West Will Power returned to capture the New Orleans Classic (G2) at Fair Grounds.
Atras said Law Professor, who shipped to Oaklawn six days before the race, never truly settled in at the busy facility and this time will arrive at Pimlico on top of the race.
“Oaklawn wasn't Jose's fault. The horse was too worked up and he couldn't get him to relax, I don't know if anybody could that day,” Atras said. “He likes to run out of his stall and I know he'll have to ship a little bit, but it's not like we have to change his whole routine. He'll just ship for the race and come right back.”
Franco, who is expected to retain the mount for the Pimlico Special, is a perfect 2-for-2 aboard Law Professor, including a win in the nine-furlong Queens County at Aqueduct in January.
Law Professor spent his first 10 starts in the care of trainer Michael McCarthy, taking the off-the-turf 2021 Santa Anita Mathis Mile (G2). He made a winning debut for Atras in September at Kentucky Downs, scoring a half-length victory in the restricted Tapit over turf ahead of a game second to multiple Grade 1 winner Life Is Good in the Woodward (G1) on October 1 at Belmont at the Big A. He closed out his 2022 campaign with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in November at Keeneland.
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