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Luis Saez To Ride Pletcher-Trained Unbridled Honor In Preakness

Todd Pletcher, Thoroughbred racing's newest Hall of Fame trainer, will take aim at the May 15 Preakness Stakes (G1) – the only Triple Crown race he has yet to win – with Unbridled Honor.

Pletcher's election to the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Racing in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. was announced Wednesday. The 53-year-old, who gained entry in his first year of eligibility, holds the record for career-earnings ($405,791,077) and ranks seventh all-time with 5,118 wins, including 708 graded-stakes victories. He has saddled two Kentucky Derby (G1) winners – Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017) – and three Belmont Stakes (G1) champions – filly Rags to Riches (2007), Palace Malice (2013) and Tapwrit (2017).

Unbridled Honor, a gray Whisper Hill Farm homebred son of Honor Code, will be Pletcher's 10th Preakness runner and his first since Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming finished eighth in 2017. His best finish was a third with his first starter, Impeachment, in 2000.

The Preakness will be Unbridled Honor's first start since his runner-up finish in the Lexington (G3) at Keeneland on April 10. The late-running colt was a dozen lengths off the early pace in the Lexington and ended up 2 ¾ lengths behind the winner, King Fury. In his previous start, the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), he was forced to try to close into a slow early pace and finished fourth, seven lengths in back of Helium.

“He's a horse that we've always had high hopes for,” Pletcher said Friday. “He's always trained really well and he's still sort of putting it all together in race situations. We thought he made a move forward in the Tampa Derby when he ran a sneaky-good fourth and was finishing arguably the best of anyone in the field. He came back and was second-best in the Lexington. That was another improving effort.”

Unbridled Honor will have his final Preakness work Saturday morning and is scheduled to ship from Belmont Park to Pimlico on Tuesday. Pletcher said that the Preakness, led by front-running Derby winner Medina Spirit, could provide an ideal scenario for the colt.

“We like the way he's training and if he could get a decent pace up front to run at, we feel that if he can take another step forward he's in the mix,” Pletcher said.

Jockey Luis Saez will replace Julien Leparoux in the saddle for the Preakness, his first mount on the colt.

“We've had a lot of luck with Luis,” Pletcher said. “He's riding great and we're happy to have him.”

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Massive Laurel Horse Move-Out Preakness Week

Difficulties with the dirt track base repair and cushion resurfacing project at Laurel Park continue to mount, with the loose-ended timetable for the work now expected to extend at least until the start of July.

Executives with The Stronach Group (TSG), which owns both Laurel and Pimlico Race Course, said during a Friday tele-meeting that they now need to pause work on the problematic and expensive project at Laurel until management can relocate of all horses stabled at Laurel to other facilities in Maryland.

This news was delivered two weeks after TSG came under fire at a Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) meeting for an alleged “accumulation of bad decisions over time” that led to Laurel's main track safety concerns not being addressed sooner by track management.

At that Apr. 22 meeting, TSG's senior vice president of racing, Steve Koch, told commissioners that Laurel would tentatively be back up and running by the start of June, with limited training allowed at the facility and horses vanned to Pimlico for timed workouts. That plan changed last week when TSG announced all horses would instead have to vacate the property.

The cumbersome logistics of orchestrating such a large horse and worker migration on short notice couldn't come at a worse time for TSG and Maryland horse outfits, with the GI Preakness S. week on the cusp of getting underway at Pimlico.

During the May 7 meeting, Koch projected a new, albeit hazy, timeline for the completion of repairs.

“At the moment, we've requested of the racing commission that the race meet remain at Pimlico through the end of June, so returning early July to be back at Laurel,” Koch said. “There's a lot of unknowns as we get into this racetrack [project and] we'll know more as this thing unfolds.”

Aidan Butler, TSG's chief operating officer, likened the moving-target time frame as a “cat and mouse” game.

Although Butler's words were meant to be figurative, as Friday's meeting evolved, it became clear that felines and rodents were literally involved in the ever-widening scope of the project.

That's because TSG will use the opportunity of having a vacant barn area to launch its most thorough rat extermination attempt to date.

Back in January, TSG executives confirmed to the racing commission that spending $20,000 monthly to try and eradicate rodents while horses remained stabled on the grounds wasn't working, largely because of the abundance of unsecured or spilled horse feed kept the rats well satiated.

Dionne Benson, TSG's chief veterinary officer, said during Friday's meeting that in addition to everything else, that means backstretch outfits will have to attempt herd their barn cats and bring them along once they get stall reassignments at either Pimlico or the Timonium fairgrounds. This is because of concerns that the cats could be poisoned by eating either the rodenticide or a rat that has consumed it.

Then MRC commissioner David Hayden suggested that all hay and straw should also be removed from the backstretch to eliminate another readily available food source for the rats.

David Richardson, the executive director of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, said that hay and straw removal would be done if the exterminators recommended it.

Richardson asked trainers to expediate getting their requests in to the Laurel racing office about their preference–either Pimlico or Timonium–for being relocated, and to note if their stable help will need living accommodations at either venue.

TSG will provide a shuttle service to those tracks for employees who wish to remain in their Laurel living quarters, and trainers can still keep tack and other personal property secured at Laurel, so long as nothing gets stored in stalls.

To date there have been 789 stall requests: 502 for Pimlico and 287 for Timonium, meaning the majority of outfits will not make the cut for the preferred stabling at Pimlico.

Richardson said that the day after the Preakness, construction will begin on three new 40-stall barns at Pimlico, and that temporary stabling there will also be made available.

As for the housing of backstretch workers, those who opt to live on the grounds at Timonium could end up relegated to either the jockeys' quarters or some other areas that have access to bathrooms and showers, because there are currently no dorm facilities there that meet fire code requirements.

“There are still a lot of items that are outstanding,” Richardson said, underscoring the difficult nature of the transition.

TSG executives also addressed the implications of turf racing in Maryland because of the extended meet at Pimlico.

Koch said the grass course at Pimlico–which is only half as wide as the one at Laurel–will, per usual, get used “very, very heavily” on the Friday and Saturday of Preakness week.

“So yeah, there are [future] constraints on that course in the sense that, you know, how much [use] can 70 feet sustain compared to the 140 feet that we have at Laurel?” Koch asked rhetorically.

Butler then picked up the topic: “If it's usable we will use it. Once it's through the big weekend…we're going to use it as often as we can.”

Even before Laurel's main track woes arose this winter and spring, TSG executives were on record as contemplating the addition of a synthetic racing surface there.

Butler said on Friday that with the base now exposed, TSG has the opportunity to assess what the scope of that project might look like. But he added that the synthetic option won't be contemplated until a later date–which will eventually mean more logistical headaches.

“Because there is a very high likelihood of us putting in a tunnel at Laurel, there is no way to drill under the track,” Butler said. “That will have to be a section…cut completely down through the substructure. That means later, when we come to replacing and putting in tunnels and replacing surfaces, or having new surfaces, I should say, there is unfortunately going to be some more disruption.”

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Brown Confirms Risk Taking Will Scratch From Peter Pan, Enter Preakness Stakes

In a late change of plans, the well-named colt Risk Taking will be entered Monday for the May 15 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course, trainer Chad Brown said Friday.

Rather than run in the one-turn 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan (G3) Saturday at Belmont Park, Risk Taking will join his Klaravich Stables stablemate, Crowded Trade, in the 1 3/16-mile $1 million Preakness. Baltimore native Seth Klarman is the proprietor of Klaravich Stables, which was the co-owner of Brown's 2017 Preakness winner Cloud Computing.

“After a couple of lengthy discussions with Mr. Klarman, we feel that this horse is better around two turns. That, along with the defections, it just seemed like a good opportunity to take a chance with the horse,” Brown said. “I know he is the morning-line favorite for the Peter Pan and we are giving that up, but the reward is: if we are able to get lucky in this race and have him run the race of his life and potentially win or be right there, it's a huge purse. Along with that, it's a little better for him around two turns with the extra distance. Of course, it's a tougher race, but it just came down to a risk-and-reward situation and getting the opportunity to try him around two turns.”

The Preakness will be Risk Taking's first start since he disappointed as the 2-1 favorite in the Wood Memorial (G2) on April 3 at Aqueduct. He was a well-beaten seventh of nine horses. Prior to the Wood, he broke his maiden on Dec. 13 and won the Withers (G3) on Feb. 6, both at 1 1/8 miles.

“Our optimism is really based on being able to confidently draw a line through the Wood,” Brown said. “If we do that, and if he was to move forward off his previous two races, another step forward, finishing strong at a mile and three-sixteenths, it could potentially put him in the trifecta or maybe better.”

Jose Ortiz will ride the son of Medaglia d'Oro in the Preakness.

Brown plans to work Risk Taking and Crowded Trade on Saturday morning at Belmont Park.

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Cox-Trained Adventuring, Winner Of Bourbonette Oaks, Pointed To Black-Eyed Susan

Though he won't have a starter in next Saturday's 146th Preakness Stakes (G1), reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox plans to run a handful of horses in other stakes over Preakness weekend at Pimlico Race Course.

Among them are Bourbonette Oaks winner Adventuring in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies on Preakness eve, May 14. The daughter of Pioneerof the Nile ran in three straight off-the-turf races to begin her career with a third, a second and a victory before taking the Bourbonette over Turfway's Park's all-weather surface.

“She's training really well,” Cox said at Churchill Downs Thursday morning. “She had enough points to go in the Kentucky Oaks [G1], but we thought the Black-Eyed Susan made more sense. Plus she wasn't nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, so we'd have had an extra-large fee to run. But I really like her. She's out of a mare [Questing] who was a multiple Grade 1 winner at a mile and an eighth and a mile and a quarter, so I think the distance is something she's going to handle. Huge, huge pedigree. She's already a stakes-winner, but we need to hopefully get some graded wins.”

Cox said Dreamalildreamofu, winner of Turfway's Latonia Stakes in her prior start, and Gedridofwhatailesu are both being pointed to the $150,000 Allaire du Pont (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/8 miles May 14. Getridofwhatailesu won the Pippin at Oaklawn Park before taking third in the Azeri (G2) won by stablemate and 2020 Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil, and finishing fourth in the Apple Blossom (G1) to front-running Letruska, with the Cox-trained two-time champion Monomoy Girl second.

“Dreamalildreamofu is coming off a synthetic race,” he said. “She's performed well on three different surfaces – turf, dirt, synthetic – so we have options with her. Getridofwhailesu was fourth in the Apple Blossom last time and is Grade 2-placed. She's a stakes winner and hopefully we can make her a graded-stakes winner. She's going great, and probably is going to get a little class relief. No Letruskas or Monomoy Girls in this group.”

Fair Grounds allowance winner T D Dance is being pointed for the $100,000 James W. Murphy for 3-year-olds on grass and French Empire the $100,000 Runhappy Skipat for older fillies and mares at six furlongs. Both races are part of the blockbuster Preakness undercard. A $20,000 claim last fall at Churchill Downs, French Empire has won four straight for Cox, most recently an Oaklawn allowance race.

French Empire came to Cox's stable a month ago after winning four straight races for Cipriano Contreras in the wake of being claimed for $20,000 last fall. She is entered in the Vagrancy (G3) Saturday at Belmont Park.

“She's training really well,” Cox said. “She actually is entered in the Vagrancy this weekend, but we decided to scratch and point for the Skipat. T D Dance is doing well, and I'm looking forward to giving him an opportunity in a stakes. Two races back he didn't perform quite as well as we were hoping. He was able to rebound and come back and win an allowance race.”

Cox won the top prize of $50,000 in the Maryland Jockey Club's Preakness weekend trainer bonus two years ago, when he also finished third and fourth in the Preakness Stakes with Owendale and Warrior's Charge, respectively. Cox finished in a tie with Steve Asmussen for second last year.

“I like it; it's cool,” Cox said of the program. “We won it two years ago, and it was a very nice bonus. It wasn't something we'd really pointed for. Then last year based off the morning line, I'd have said we had a big shot to win it. Last year we kind of pointed for it. This year, not as much, but it's very nice. If you run a couple and they run well, you definitely start watching the leaderboard, I can tell you that.”

West Point Thoroughbreds, John Ballantyne, William Freeman and Michael Valdes' Grade 3-placed Lady Traveler, most recently fourth in the Beaumont (G3) April 2 at Keeneland, is expected to make her next start in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies Friday, May 14 at Pimlico Race Course.

A bay daughter of Grade 1 winner Quality Road, Lady Traveler is trained by Dale Romans who won the Black-Eyed Susan in back-to-back years with Keen Pauline (2015) and Go Maggie Go (2016) and most recently was second with Coach Rocks (2018). West Point was third with Tom Albertrani-trained Toasting in 2013.

“We're set to enter Lady Traveler in the Black-Eyed Susan,” West Point CEO Tom Bellhouse. “We've had some fun in the Black-Eyed Susan in the past. We had Toasting that hit the board and then Coach Rocks ran great a couple years ago. I know Dale likes the race.”

Lady Traveler is a half-sister to two-time Grade 1-winning turf multi-millionaire Heart to Heart, out of the Silver Deputy mare Ask the Question. She broke her maiden and was second in the Rags to Riches last fall in Kentucky, and opened 2021 rallying for second in the seven-furlong Forward Gal (G3) Jan. 30 at Gulfstream Park.

Since then she has finished off the board in a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance on turf March 10 at Gulfstream and the seven-furlong Beaumont, beaten less than five lengths at odds of 17-1.

“She's a cool filly,” Bellhouse said. “She hasn't been able to put it all together yet, but she's got an amazing pedigree.”

West Point may have another Preakness weekend starter in Jaxon Traveler, a multiple stakes winner it owns with Marvin Delfiner and is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. Nominated to the $200,000 Chick Lang (G3) for 3-year-olds sprinting six furlongs, the Maryland-bred Jaxon Traveler broke his maiden on debut last fall at Pimlico and won the Maryland Juvenile Futurity in December at Laurel Park.

Jaxon Traveler suffered his only loss in five starts when he was beaten a head in the Gazebo March 20, a race where he needed to come from off the pace, before rebounding with a front-running triumph in the April 24 Bachelor. Both races were going six furlongs at Oaklawn Park.

“We're waiting to hear if Steve wants to come back that quick in the Chick Lang. The race is perfect for him, but he hasn't committed to us yet,” Bellhouse said. “I hope we run both of them. It would be a blast to come down next week and just have a great time.”

SF Racing's Bourbonette runner-up Spritz is scheduled to breeze this weekend over the main track at Keeneland with the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) in mind, trainer Rodolphe Brisset said.

“If she works OK on Sunday, Spritz will be running in the Black-Eyed Susan,” Brisset said. “She'll have her last work Sunday depending on the weather. As of now, we're looking at working her on Sunday, shipping her on Monday night and we'll be there on Tuesday morning.”

Spritz, by Awesome Again out of the Holy Bull mare Holy Blitz, spent the winter racing over Turfway Park's all-weather surface. It was where she broke her maiden going 1 1/16 miles Feb. 26 and followed up with a game effort in the one-mile Bourbonette, beaten two lengths by Adventuring, who is also being pointed to the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan.

“She's extremely well-bred. For her to finish second in a stakes was very good for her value as a broodmare,” Brisset said. “But, obviously, if we can be stakes placed or a stakes winner on the dirt, that would be even better.”

Other horses pointing to the Black-Eyed Susan are Army Wife, Beautiful Gift, Forever Boss, Iced Latte, Lady Traveler, Miss Leslie and Willful Woman.

Entries will be taken and post positions drawn for the Black-Eyed Susan Day program Sunday, May 9.

Brisset said plans call for Team Valor International's Australian-bred Victory Kingdom to breeze Friday at Keeneland for a start in the $100,000 The Very One for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting five furlongs on the grass Friday, May 14.

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