GI Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming (Bodemeister), who had been relatively subdued and settled in recent mornings since arriving to Pimlico, showed some of the fire he displayed leading up to the Run for the Roses while galloping 1 1/2 miles Monday morning in Baltimore. Shortly after stepping on to the track at 6 a.m. with regular rider Nick Bush aboard, the colt became headstrong and difficult to handle [video]. While trainer Todd Pletcher said the colt likely became “fired up” after noticing the arrival of more horses in the barn, he acknowledged that the bucking incident on the racetrack was nerve-racking.
“He actually scared me a little bit because he was feeling so good when he went off,” Pletcher said [video]. “The first couple of strides he went to try to buck Nick off and kind of stumbled a little bit when he did it. But he got right back on his feet and after that it was a very smooth, energetic, good gallop. Obviously, you don't want any stumbles at this stage of the game, so it gave me a little bit of a fright.”
Pletcher said the dark bay cooled out fine upon returning to the barn. Always Dreaming appeared to settle down noticeably in his training after Pletcher elected to add draw reins and switch to the services of exercise rider Nick Bush on Derby week. Despite Monday's incident, Pletcher noted that Always Dreaming appears to be coming into the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown in sharp form.
“Since we got to Churchill, he had a little change in his personality, just in terms of how aggressive he became,” Pletcher said. “We've seen a little bit of that here. Not quite as much as we did at Churchill. I think coming in here early helped us in that regard.”
• Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen's pair of L and N Racing's Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky) and Calumet Farm's Hence (Street Boss) posted a pair of maintenance breezes at Churchill Downs Monday morning ahead of Saturday's GI Preakness S. at Pimlico. Lookin At Lee, who rallied strongly up the rail to complete the exacta behind Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) in the May 6 GI Kentucky Derby, worked a half-mile in :51.20 with internal splits of :13 and :25.80 and a five-furlong gallop out in 1:04.80. Hence, 11th in the Derby, was similarly relaxed, covering four panels in :51 flat earlier in the morning, posting splits of :13 and :25.80 and a five-furlong gallop out in 1:05 flat.
“They both had really easy works,” Asmussen said. “Both horses were traveling well and came out of the Derby in good shape.”
Lookin At Lee, previously a closing third in the GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 15, took his game to the next level with a runner-up effort at odds of 33-1 at Churchill.
“Lookin At Lee has always had a good rhythm to his training,” Asmussen commented. “This is a typical breeze for him. His personality and gamesmanship gave us a lot of confidence in him going into the Derby. We have no control of how the other horses run, but we always feel like he does his best. It takes a horse like him to get the dream trip as he did in the Derby. Some of the spots that he went through aren't for everybody and that's what has us feeling so strongly about him going into the Preakness.”
Hence captured the GIII Sunland Derby at Sunland Park Mar. 26 and never managed to get involved at odds of 15-1 on the first Saturday in May.
“Hence didn't really run his race in the Derby,” the trainer continued. “Watching from the grandstand, he was jumping from the kickback of the sloppy racetrack. I expected him to come out of the race as though he didn't exert himself, and that's exactly what he did. He's a very impressive individual and still training very well.”
Asmussen also sent out GI Clark H. hero and G1 Dubai World Cup runner-up Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) to work a half-mile in :51 flat. The chestnut is expected to make his next start in the GI Stephen Foster H. at Churchill June 17.
• 2016 champion juvenile colt and recent GI Kentucky Derby fourth Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) arrived at Pimlico during the overnight hours Monday following a van ride from Churchill Downs. Norm Casse, assistant to his father Mark, confirmed that the colt settled in to his new surroundings well [video] following a troubled trip beneath the Twin Spires.
“He should be, technically, sitting on his best race,” Casse said. “We all were hoping he could win the Derby, but we knew that everything had to go right, and obviously it didn't go right.”
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