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.”

The post Midnight Bourbon Breezes For Preakness appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

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.

The post Preakness: Asmussen Feeling ‘Very Optimistic’ With Midnight Bourbon appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Preakness Notes: Concert Tour Breezes Amidst Storm Over Medina Spirit’s Failed Drug Test: Post Position Draw Delayed Until Tuesday

Gary and Mary West's Concert Tour worked five-eighths of a mile in 1:00.40 Sunday morning at Churchill Downs under jockey Martin Garcia, who frequently works horses for Baffert. Mike Smith is scheduled to be aboard in Saturday's Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in Baltimore, Md.

Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit – the G1 Kentucky Derby winner who Baffert said has tested positive for betamethasone – open galloped at Churchill.

“He worked really well. He's been training really well,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “I'm happy with the way he went, so he'll definitely be going to the Preakness. Medina Spirit, we just gave him a stiff open gallop, sort of. We're happy with how he went. He came out of the race really, really well. So they'll both be going to the Preakness.”

Maryland Jockey Club released the following statement Sunday afternoon concerning the revelations of Medina Spirit's failed drug test.

“Integrity in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing is the ultimate priority for 1/ST Racing and the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC). 1/ST Racing has been an industry leader instituting processes and protocols that have led to nationwide medication reform and increased accountability. We are committed to achieving the highest level of horse care and safety standards, and we have a proven track record of pushing those standards forward. 

 “1/ST Racing and MJC intend to review the relevant facts and information relating to the reported medication positive as a result of the post-race blood sample testing completed by Churchill Downs following the 147th Kentucky Derby involving Medina Spirit trained by Bob Baffert. We are consulting with the Maryland Racing Commission and any decision regarding the entry of Medina Spirit in the 146th Preakness Stakes will be made after review of the facts.”

The post-position draw for the Preakness, originally scheduled Monday, will now be held Tuesday at approximately 4 p.m. at Pimlico Race Course. It can be viewed at Facebook.com/Preakness.

Baffert has denied that Medina Spirit was ever treated with betamethasone, a corticosteroid typically injected into joints to relieve inflammation.

Medina Spirit and Concert Tour are scheduled to leave Churchill Downs Monday afternoon to van to Baltimore, arriving at Pimlico about 3 or 4 Tuesday morning.

Crowded Trade, Risk Taking Due at Pimlico Tuesday
Trainer Chad Brown reported Sunday that Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Crowded Trade and Risk Taking emerged well from their five-furlong breezes Saturday and are headed to the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course May 15.

The Brown trainees worked in company at Belmont Park in 1:01.76, the third-fastest clockings of 18 recorded at the distance. Brown's horses will ship from Belmont Park to Pimlico Race Course on Tuesday.

Brown, who won the 2017 Preakness with Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence's Cloud Computing, had announced Friday that Risk Taking would join stablemate Crowded Trade in the Preakness. Crowded Trade was third in the Wood Memorial (G2) in his third career start. Risk Taking finished seventh as the 2-1 favorite in the Wood Memorial after winning the Withers (G3) by 3¾ lengths. He was the morning line-favorite for Saturday's Peter Pan (G3) at Belmont Park, but owner Seth Klarman opted to scratch from the race and try the $1 million Preakness, which is run around two turns.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has the mount on Crowded Trade, while Jose Ortiz has the assignment on Risk Taking.

Rombauer Exits Preakness Breeze in Good Order
Trainer Michael McCarthy reported Sunday morning that his Preakness Stakes (G1) candidate Rombauer came out of his workout Saturday morning at Santa Anita in good shape. The Twirling Candy colt is scheduled to ship from McCarthy's stable at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. to Pimlico Race Course on Tuesday.

Rombauer, bred and owned by Diane and John Fradkin, earned a guaranteed berth in the Preakness with his victory in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 13. In his most recent start, the Kentucky-bred was third in the April 3 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, 5 3/4 lengths behind Essential Quality.  His five-furlong work in 59.80 seconds Saturday was his fourth since the Blue Grass.

Jockey Flavien Prat was up for the work Saturday and will ride Rombauer for the first time in the Preakness.

McCarthy, 50, a longtime assistant to recently elected Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, will make his Triple Crown series debut in the Preakness with Rombauer. He saddled his first starter for his public stable in January 2014.

Unbridled Honor Ready to Go following Preakness Tune-up
Whisper Hill Farm's homebred Unbridled Honor will ship to Pimlico Race Course from Belmont Park in New York Tuesday for a scheduled start in Saturday's Preakness Stakes (G1), trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday.

Pletcher confirmed that Unbridled Honor looked good the morning after his timed half-mile work in 49.75 seconds Saturday. Unbridled Honor broke his maiden at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 6 in his third career start and has since finished fourth in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and second in the Lexington (G3) at Keeneland on April 10.

The son of Honor Code will be Pletcher's 10th Preakness starter. The 1 3/16th-mile classic is the only Triple Crown race missing from the resume of the newly elected member of racing's Hall of Fame.

Jockey Luis Saez will ride Unbridled Honor for the first time in the Preakness. Saez is taking over from Julien Leparoux, who was up for the gray colt's last two starts.

Midnight Bourbon Seeking Rebound in Preakness with Good Start
Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC's Midnight Bourbon will try to become the sixth horse in 12 years to win the Preakness (G1) after being beaten in the Kentucky Derby (G1). The colt raced on or near the lead in his prior starts, including taking the Fair Grounds' Lecomte (G3) and finishing second in the Louisiana Derby (G2). But in the Kentucky Derby, he didn't get out of the gate cleanly and found himself in 12th and well off the pace. Forced to race wide on both turns, Midnight Bourbon closed to finish sixth.

“We weren't where we wanted to be, that's for sure,” Scott Blasi, who runs Steve Asmussen's Churchill Downs division, said of Midnight Bourbon's Derby. “But just circumstances: the horse slipped behind and didn't get away well. At the end of the day, he might actually benefit from taking dirt. There's plenty of speed in this Preakness. Hopefully he gets away cleaner. It probably adds a new dimension to him, the fact that he made up ground in all that traffic. He didn't do a lot of running early. I think he's pretty fresh coming out of it. But I think he fits well with those horses.”

The son of Tiznow galloped Sunday morning at Churchill Downs and is scheduled to have an easy half-mile workout Monday morning before shipping to Pimlico Tuesday.

Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith and Spendthrift Farm LLC's Keepmeinmind (seventh in the Derby) and Christina Baker and William Mack's Ram, an allowance winner last time out, also had routine gallops Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.

The post Preakness Notes: Concert Tour Breezes Amidst Storm Over Medina Spirit’s Failed Drug Test: Post Position Draw Delayed Until Tuesday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Curlin Reminds Asmussen Stable Preakness Much More Than A ‘Consolation Prize’

Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC's Midnight Bourbon, sixth in the Kentucky Derby (G1), had another routine gallop Saturday morning shortly after the Churchill Downs track opened for training in preparation for a scheduled start in next Saturday's Preakness Stakes (G1). The Steve Asmussen-trained colt is scheduled to have an easy half-mile work on Monday before shipping to Pimlico Tuesday. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount.

The Asmussen stable has a special fondness for the Preakness, the first Triple Crown race that the Hall of Fame trainer won when Derby third-place finisher Curlin wore down Derby winner Street Sense by a head in 2007. Two years later, the filly Rachel Alexandra led all the way to defeat the late-running Derby winner Mine That Bird by a length in the Preakness. Rachel Alexandra, who in her prior start won the Kentucky Oaks (G1) by 20 lengths, was the first filly to capture Preakness since 1924 and came mere days after going to Asmussen upon her sale to the late wine mogul Jess Jackson.

Curlin became the 2007-2008 Horse of the Year, followed by Rachel Alexandra in 2010.

Scott Blasi, Asmussen's chief lieutenant at Churchill Downs, said the Preakness is a tremendous race in its own right.

“It's by no means a consolation prize. It's a stallion-maker, a champion-maker,” said Blasi. “Classic example is Curlin. He drew the inside at the Derby, wasn't where we wanted him. He closed to be third and the Preakness was the stepping stone for who he became. That's when everybody started taking him seriously, and you see what kind of stallion he's turned into. It was a big deal for us. Rachel's Preakness was probably one of the most stressful races, just because we hadn't had her that long. There was so much pressure. I was actually happy when she drew the 13 hole (staying clear of traffic), and she was good enough to overcome it.”

The post Curlin Reminds Asmussen Stable Preakness Much More Than A ‘Consolation Prize’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights