Mylute Confirmed for Preakness

May 11, 2013 Gary Yunt

GoldMark Farm and Whisper Hill Farm’s Mylute, the fifth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), is a go for the Preakness.

“I talked with Paul Buhlman (of GoldMark) and Mandy Pope (of Whisper Hill) and we discussed how he was doing and how he was training and the decision was made to go to the Preakness,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “He is booked on the plane for Wednesday morning to go to Baltimore.”

The decision was announced after Mylute had jogged a mile and galloped two miles over a muddy Churchill Downs surface shortly after the track opened for training at 6 o’clock. Regular morning partner Maurice Sanchez was aboard.

Amoss said that Mylute would work a half-mile early Monday morning, depending on weather. The advance forecast calls for no rain in Louisville for the next four days.

Rosie Napravnik, who rode Mylute in the Kentucky Derby, retains the mount for the Preakness.

Awaiting Mylute in Baltimore, among others, will be Kentucky Derby winner Orb.

“We have to find four lengths,” Amoss said referring to Orb’s advantage over Mylute in the Derby. “If Orb runs his race back in the Preakness, he will be hard to beat.”

All other known Preakness candidates on the Churchill Downs backstretch galloped Saturday morning.

Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Departing galloped 1 ½ miles over a muddy track shortly after 6 o’clock  with exercise rider Trina Pasckvale up. Trained by Al Stall Jr., the Illinois Derby (GIII) winner is scheduled to work a half-mile Sunday morning after the renovation break with Larry Melancon slated to be aboard.

Mike Pegram’s Govenor Charlie galloped 1 ½ over a track that had been upgraded to “good” after the renovation break with Jorge Alvarez aboard. Trainer Bob Baffert plans to work the Sunland Derby (GIII) winner on Monday.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas had his three candidates for Preakness 138 on the track early at Churchill Downs on Saturday morning. Sixth-place Kentucky Derby finisher Oxbow was the first out of the group, galloping over a muddy track under exercise rider Rudy Quevedo. Will Take Charge, eighth in the Kentucky Derby, galloped under Taylor Carty in the second set along with Titletown Five, who was partnered by Quevedo.

Lukas said that Oxbow is scheduled to work Monday and added, “I may let the other two go through the stretch” before vanning to Baltimore early Tuesday morning. Gary Stevens, who rode Oxbow in the Kentucky Derby and who has the Preakness mount, is expected to be aboard for the work.

MONTANO BACK IN ACTION AFTER HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY – Trainer Angel Montano is back minding the store in his section of Barn 8 after undergoing hip replacement surgery last month.

“It is hell getting old,” the 72-year-old Montano said with a laugh. “There was a lot of deterioration in my left hip and I should have gotten it done before going to the Fair Grounds last fall, but you know how horse trainers are.”

Montano, who ranks eighth all time at Churchill Downs with 339 victories, first came to Churchill Downs in 1956 and has been in the same barn for 42 years. Currently, he has eight horses with two more coming in.

“We had a good meet at the Fair Grounds. We won five, had nine seconds and five thirds (from 36 starters) and we won one at Keeneland,” said Montano, who is getting around with the use of a cane after discarding a walker.

Montano has one horse entered today (Saturday), Sunshineandsilence in the first, and Face the Fire in Sunday’s fifth race.

“The winner’s circle would be good rehab,” Montano said. “I went to rehab after the surgery and it was like being in jail. I was supposed to rehab for two weeks, but I did a week and called my wife and told her to get me out of there.”

STEPHEN FOSTER HANDICAP MAY BE NEXT FOR CYBER SECRET – Charles Cella’s Cyber Secret, who had his four-race win streak snapped in the Alysheba (GII) on May 3, may resurface next in the $500,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap (GI), a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic division.

“There is serious consideration for the Stephen Foster,” trainer Lynn Whiting said of Cyber Secret, who was disqualified from second and placed eighth after finishing six lengths behind Take Charge Indy.

Cyber Secret has blossomed in 2013 with the win streak that included victories in the Razorback Handicap (GIII) and Oaklawn Handicap (GII).

“I always felt he was a good horse,” Whiting said. “He was running against some good horses last year like Secret Circle, but he would start going at the five-eighths pole and dragging the rider after them and didn’t have much left. He is more adaptable now to the benefit of the rider. Maybe he is just a late developer. Some families are like that.”

DOWN THE STRETCH – Trainer Donnie Von Hemel said that Pin Oak Stable’s four-time graded stakes winner Alternation would be pointed to a late summer/fall campaign following an eighth-place finish in the Oaklawn Handicap (GII). “There is a minor issue and he will jog for 40 days, no galloping at all,” Von Hemel said, effectively ruling out a return run in the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) on June 15. Alternation finished fifth in last year’s Stephen Foster. … Trainer Steve Asmussen reached the 450-victory plateau at Churchill Downs on Friday when Mike McCarty’s Gun Roar captured the first race under Ricardo Santana Jr. Only three trainers have more victories at Churchill Downs: Bill Mott (671), Dale Romans (576) and D. Wayne Lukas (494). … The triumph in Friday’s feature race by Gary and Mary West’s Power Broker gave trainer Bob Baffert his 99^th victory at Churchill Downs.

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