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Midnight Bourbon Breezes For Preakness

Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC's Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) tuned up for Saturday's GI Preakness S. Monday morning at Churchill Downs, working an easy half-mile in :50.20.

A $525,000 Keeneland September yearling, Midnight Bourbon won the GIII Lecomte S. in January and earned additional points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a third in the GII Risen Star S. and a runner-up effort in the GII Louisiana Derby. Unable to go forward after taking a bump at the start of the GI Kentucky Derby May 1, the strapping bay colt raced farther back in the field than connections wanted, but made some late ground to finish sixth, beaten just over eight lengths.

“He's doing great, wonderful physically,” said trainer Steve Asmussen, who saddled Curlin (Smart Strike) to win at Old Hilltop in 2007 and Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro) two years later. “This morning, I watched Midnight Bourbon work. He's just such a beautiful specimen and he goes over the racetrack so pretty. Driving back to the barn from the grandstand, I was thinking how crazy we are as horsemen. It's only less than two weeks from the disappointment of the Derby, and here I am, thinking I'm going to win a Classic again and I get all giddy. Here we are less than two weeks later and we're all jazzed up, ready to go to Baltimore and we love our chances. Very fortunate to have these chances and horses of this caliber. I'm very optimistic going to Baltimore.”

Midnight Bourbon was a handful when schooling in the Churchill paddock in the days leading up to the Derby, to the point where Asmussen inserted himself into the situation. He plans to be on the shank again this weekend.

“Yeah, I'm going to lead Bourbon over,” he said. “He's just a lot of horse, and I'm probably the biggest guy in the barn.”

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Preakness: Asmussen Feeling ‘Very Optimistic’ With Midnight Bourbon

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon had the easy workout typical of a Steve Asmussen-trained horse five days before a race, covering the half-mile distance in 50.20 seconds at Churchill Downs on Monday morning. The Kentucky Derby (G1) sixth-place finisher is scheduled to van to Pimlico Race Course early Tuesday for a scheduled start in Saturday's 146th Preakness Stakes (G1).

“He's doing great, wonderful physically. I'm excited to run him in the Preakness,” said Asmussen, who was scheduled to take an early evening flight Monday to Baltimore. “This morning, I watched Midnight Bourbon work. He's just such a beautiful specimen and he goes over the racetrack so pretty. Driving back to the barn from the grandstand, I was thinking how crazy we are as horsemen. It's only less than two weeks from the disappointment of the Derby, and here I am, thinking I'm going to win a classic again and I get all giddy.”

Midnight Bourbon, who finished second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) after pressing the pace, was bumped leaving the starting gate in the Kentucky Derby and was far back early before closing steadily while racing four wide.

“It was such a great feeling in this year's Derby being able to run (Arkansas Derby (G1) winner) Super Stock for my parents and Erv Woolsey and Midnight Bourbon for Ron Winchell. Midnight Bourbon is a big feeler, so I led him over for the Derby and that was as great a feeling as I've had: to be able to physically lead one over for the Derby, and how exciting that was,” Asmussen said. “We had disappointing results in the race. He didn't get away from the gate the way we wanted. You walk back and you're disappointed and stuff. And here we are less than two weeks later and we're all jazzed up, ready to go to Baltimore and we love our chances. Very fortunate to have these chances and horses of this caliber. I'm very optimistic going to Baltimore.”

Asmussen, who saddled Curlin (2007) and filly Rachel Alexandra (2009) for Preakness victories, said he will again be on the shank leading Midnight Bourbon from the stakes barn to be saddled for the Preakness.

“Yeah, I'm going to lead Bourbon over,” he said. “He's just a lot of horse, and I'm probably the biggest guy in the barn.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to ride Midnight Bourbon for the first time Saturday.

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Baffert Team Will Fight If Banned From Preakness

While awaiting word from the Maryland Jockey Club concerning the status of Bob Baffert and Medina Spirit (Protonico) for the GI Preakness S., Baffert's lawyer Craig Robertson said he will seek a temporary restraining order if Medina Spirit is not allowed to run.

His status became unclear Sunday when Baffert informed the media that he had been told by the Kentucky Racing Commission that Medina Spirit had tested positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone in tests conducted following the race. A few hours later, 1/ST, the owners of Pimlico, put out a press release stating they were still reviewing the situation. They bought themselves a bit of time when deciding to move the draw for the Preakness from Monday to Tuesday.

“Pimlico has not taken such action yet, Robertson said in a text message. “However, if they do, I will file such a TRO. There is something called due process of law and any rush to judgment or punishment at this point would be premature and unlawful. If anyone takes such action before the split comes back, we will act.”

Baffert told the TDN that he will not, no matter his personal status, be attending the Preakness.

The Kentucky Racing Commission has had little to say about the matter, which probably won't change until after a second lab has tested a split sample. Robertson has already set the ball in motion regarding the testing of the split sample.

“We will be given a list of labs by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission from which we can chose to send the split,” he said via text. “That list has not been provided yet. No definitive time frame, but past experience tells me that from this moment until split results come back will be at least a couple of weeks.”

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Baffert’s Attorney Prepared To File Temporary Restraining Order Allowing Medina Spirit To Enter Preakness

Craig Roberston, attorney for trainer Bob Baffert, told the Daily Racing Form on Monday that he is prepared to file a temporary restraining order if Pimlico Race Course attempts to deny Medina Spirit entry into Saturday's Preakness Stakes.

The Preakness Stakes draw was originally scheduled for Monday, but Pimlico management pushed entries back to Tuesday at 4 p.m. Eastern following Baffert's Sunday morning announcement that the Kentucky Derby winner had tested positive for 21 picograms of betamethasone.

Robertson said he planned to reach out to Pimlico on Monday regarding the legal issues involved with denying Medina Spirit entry to the Preakness. Only the first post-race sample has been tested at this point; this is not enough to disqualify Medina Spirit. That would be possible after the results are confirmed by a second test of the split sample, which has yet to be completed.

Until that point, banning Medina Spirit from the Preakness would be a violation of Baffert's due process rights, Robertson argued.

Churchill Downs made the announcement Sunday afternoon that it would ban Baffert-trained runners from entering, but Robertson said that legal battle has been put on the back-burner until the Preakness situation is resolved.

“We don't even have an official positive yet,” Robertson told DRF. “Any decision to ban him, by anyone, be it Churchill or Pimlico or anyone else, is unlawful.”