Will Derby preferred Vital High quality run in the Preakness?

BALTIMORE

Kentucky Derby favored and fourth-position finisher Important Top quality will not operate in the May well 15 Preakness Stakes, but Derby winner Medina Spirit will confront a challenge from talented stablemate Live performance Tour as he attempts to win the next leg of the Triple Crown.

Trainer Brad Cox advised Sirius XM Radio that Necessary Good quality, who went into the Derby undefeated, will relaxation and could point for the Belmont Stakes. He stated Derby runner-up Mandaloun is even now in consideration for the Preakness as is Caddo River, who scratched from the Derby discipline for the reason that of an infection.

In the meantime, Medina Spirit’s coach, Bob Baffert, explained Concert Tour will provide a new problem to the Derby winner at Pimlico Race Study course. After imagined to be a top rated contender for the Derby, Live performance Tour concluded 3rd with a flat efficiency in the Arkansas Derby. So Baffert opted to skip the to start with leg of the Triple Crown in favor of much more training. He was delighted more than enough with Concert Tour’s 5-furlong exercise routine at Churchill Downs on Sunday morning that he and house owners Gary and Mary West agreed on a Preakness run.

Baffert’s best assistant, Jimmy Barnes, reported Medina Spirit is executing well at Churchill Downs and could jog as quickly as Wednesday as he prepares to make the complicated two-7 days turnaround from Derby to Preakness.

The two Medina Spirit and Concert Tour will travel to Pimlico by van Monday or Tuesday for the reason that the flight provider Baffert typically employs to ship horses from Kentucky to Baltimore is quickly grounded.

Rombauer, third-place finisher in the Blue Grass Stakes for trainer Michael McCarthy, also has officially joined the Preakness area.

King Fury, who was scratched from the Derby due to the fact of a late-week fever, will not run in the Preakness soon after his temperature flared yet again this week, trainer Kenny McPeek stated. His defection will deny McPeek a possibility to repeat just after he won last 12 months with Swiss Skydiver.

Corridor of Fame coach and two-time Preakness winner Steve Asmussen said he’s looking at operating Midnight Bourbon, who concluded sixth in the Derby right after an uncomfortable slip at the commence of the race.