Trackside from Pimlico … with Steve Sherack
All was fairly quiet on the Pimlico backstretch on an unseasonably warm and humid morning as California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit)’s assistant trainer Alan Sherman did a live interview with WBAL-TV 11 News just adjacent the GI Preakness S. barn shortly after 6 a.m.
Maryland Jockey Club’s Vice President of Communications Mike Gathagan kindly gave a heads-up to a small group of photographers that GI Florida Derby third-place finisher General A Rod (Roman Ruler) was walking the shedrow and would be the first of the Preakness contenders to head out to the track at 6:15 a.m. With trainer Mike Maker leading the way, the Skychai Racing and Starlight Racing colorbearer–not sporting a Preakness saddle towel–walked the path beneath exercise rider Joel Barrientos and made his way out to the track for the first time since shipping to Maryland Monday afternoon. General A Rod, a better-than-it-looked 11th following a troubled trip in the GI Kentucky Derby, jogged the wrong way along the outer rail heading in the same direction as the rising sun while Maker looked on from the grandstand apron. The dark bay was very much on his toes and looked great exiting the track following his 1 1/2-mile gallop, this time with Maker right on the shank. Maybe occupying the same stall occupied by the 2012 Derby/Preakness victor I’ll Have Another (Flower Alley) is beginning to rub off?
With temperatures quickly rising to the upper 60s, a surprisingly small group of media lined up as the Derby winner–sporting green wraps and bell boots–ventured out from Stall 40 at 6:40 a.m, approximately 16 hours after arriving from Louisville. The flashy chestnut was led out by Sherman and did his usual thing, pausing and taking in all of his new surroundings just as he did in his initial days at Churchill. With regular exercise rider Willie Delgado along for the ride, California Chrome set up shop near the gap for a couple of minutes and didn’t seem to appreciate being shut down for the day after passing a “Sunrise at Old Hilltop” group near the wire after jogging an easy mile. “Settle down…settle down…settle down,” Delgado calmly asked of his charge as he began applying the brakes.
Kid Cruz (Lemon Drop Kid), hero of Laurel’s Private Terms S. and Pimlico’s Federico Tesio S. Apr. 19, was also an early riser for his initial voyage over the Pimlico main track, going out for a 1 1/2-mile gallop shortly after 6:30 a.m. With Linda Rice assistant trainer Samantha Randazzo looking on, he enjoyed a couple of brief grazing sessions in the warm sun just before 7:30 a.m. Kid Cruz was vanned from Belmont Park Monday evening.
With 77-year-old conditioner Art Sherman still en route from Southern California, his son was in good spirits as he met the media for a brief outdoor press conference by the stakes barn at 7:40 a.m. “My morning is going great–I’m very happy with the way that he trained this morning,” the younger Sherman happily reported. “He’s such a curious horse. He likes to look around a lot and check out his surroundings.”
The lightly raced Social Inclusion (Pioneerof the Nile) began to get tacked up as owner Ron Sanchez chatted with 85-year-old trainer Manny Azpurua inside the shedrow at 8:15 a.m. It didn’t seem quite as warm now with some cloud cover in play as Ride On Curlin (Curlin) was led out of the stakes barn riderless with the very hands-on Billy Gowan on the left side of the shank. Exercise rider Bryan Beccia hopped on by the gap and Ride On Curlin seemed to enjoy watching all of the photographers record his every move during the 8:30 a.m. renovation break.
Team Social Inclusion, meanwhile, arrived to the grandstand via golf cart with the always upbeat Sanchez riding in the back with a big smile on his face. Ride On Curlin, also aboard Monday’s flight from the Bluegrass with California Chrome and General A Rod, was the first to step foot on the freshly manicured surface. Gowan kept a close eye on his prized possession throughout his 1 1/8-mile gallop while watching the action from in front of the outer rail on the track.
The aforementioned GI TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial S. third-place finisher, fully equipped with his blue-and-red blinkers, jogged once around the Pimlico oval and was understandably a bit lathered up on the steamy morning a day after firing a bullet four-furlong workout in :47 over the surface.
Sanchez is convinced that Social Inclusion, forced to miss his May 3 prep race at Gulfstream with a foot bruise, is sitting on go for the second jewel. “No more concern–he’s ready to go,” he said while being interviewed by Caton Bredar for HRTV back at the barn.
It looks like another early morning is in store for Wednesday, with California Chrome scheduled to gallop at 6:45 a.m. If Tuesday’s jogging session is any indication, it looks like the California-bred has bounced out of his Derby win better than ever. Click here for Tuesday’s photo page.