With the announcement that Golden Tempo (Curlin) will be skipping the GI Preakness Stakes, the GI Kentucky Derby winner's jockey Jose Ortiz has picked up the mount on Chip Honcho (Connect) in the May 16 Classic. Ortiz rode the Steve Asmussen-trained colt to his maiden win at Churchill Downs last November. Paco Lopez rode the colt to victory in the Dec. 20 Gun Runner Stakes and Luis Saez was aboard for his runner-up effort in the Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes and fifth-place finish in the Mar. 21 GII Louisiana Derby.
“He's familiar with the horse,” Asmussen said of Ortiz. “Just through consistently working with Jose over the winter and stuff, you're always discussing races and racehorses. It was his belief in Golden Tempo that proved true.”
Ortiz rode the Asmussen-trained Magnitude (Not This Time) to victory in the G1 Dubai World Cup in March.
Express Kid (Bodexpress), most recently a narrow runner-up behind Pavlovian (Pavel) in the Feb. 15 Sunland Derby, tuned up for the Preakness at Lone Star Park Thursday. Working with 3-year-old stakes-placed gelding Forty Seven (Practical Joke), Express Kid went five furlongs from the gate in 1:00.71 over a fast main track. It was the second fastest of 10 works at the distance, with Forty Seven credited in 1:00.85.
“I was really happy with the work this morning. Really happy,” trainer Justin Evans said. “The other horse is a pretty decent horse, but he outworked him pretty easy. I thought the work was great. He left there like we wanted him to and had a big gallop-out, showed good energy [and] came back out of it good. I couldn't be more pleased.”
Evans added, “We've got to be on our 'A' game for a race like the Preakness. I thought it was a really good work he turned in. He handled everything well, came back great and happy and looked really good after. It was just what we wanted to see.”
Express Kid romped to a front-running 6 1/4-length win in the Springboard Mile Stakes last December at Remington Park for trainer Wade Rarick and he was then purchased by Brad Kleven for $800,000 out of a one-horse Fasig-Tipton digital flash sale Jan. 9.
Making his two-turn debut in the Sunland Derby, Express Kid was beaten just a nose by Pavlovian, who went on to be second in the GII Louisiana Derby.
“I wish maybe that we'd had a race since then, but we ran into some issues. He got a little sick on me there for a few days where all that stuff was kind of going around everywhere it seemed like,” Evans said. “He spiked a fever for a few days. He came out of it fast, but it eliminated us from kind of getting a race where we wanted to be.”
Evans said the time off did allow him and his staff to get to know the latest addition to their barn.
“We got a little time with him in the barn and got him to fit in and go into our routine, so that is a definite plus,” he said. “You've got to look on the bright side of it. He's fresh, he's doing good, he's had a couple of nice works over this Lone Star track and seems like he's going in the right direction.”
Evans said he expects Express Kid to arrive at Laurel Park Monday. He has yet to firm up a rider.
Bull by the Horns (Essential Quality), last-out winner of the Mar. 21 Rushaway Stakes, has joined the list of possible Preakness starters. Owned by Peachtree Stable and Mark Corrado, the gray colt was entered to run in Saturday's GIII Peter Pan Stakes at Aqueduct, but was withdrawn when rain delayed his training.
“He was going to run, but it rained Sunday and when I tried to work him again Monday, it rained again,” trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said Thursday. “When we looked at the Preakness, we thought there's not much downside. He's going to like the distance, so I would say there's a strong possibility he's going to run in the Preakness.”
Joseph is leaving his options open when it comes to the next work for Bull by the Horns, whose most recent timed breeze of :47.45 for four furlongs came Apr. 26 at Gulfstream.
“He's going to work, I would say, either Saturday or Sunday. It could even be tomorrow,” Joseph said. “He's doing good. He's ready to run.”
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