'Bullet' Work for Preakness Hope Bayern; Rosario Gets Preakness Mount on Ride On Curlin

May 05, 2014 Gary Yunt

BAYERN WORKS BULLET TOWARD PREAKNESS — Kaleem Shah’s Bayern, working in company with the two-time graded stakes-winning  filly Awesome Baby, drilled five furlongs in :58.20 over a fast Churchill Downs racing surface after Monday morning’s renovation break for a possible start in the May 17 Preakness Stakes (GI).

Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Rosie Napravnik, Bayern started two lengths behind and on the outside of Awesome Baby, who was ridden by Joe Rocco Jr. Bayern drew to within a length on the turn and finished three lengths in front in posting the fastest move of 19 at the distance for the morning. Fractions were  :23, :34.40 and a six-furlong gallop out in 1:13.40.

Bayern finished first in the Derby Trial (GIII) on April 26 at Churchill Downs but was disqualified and placed second behind Embellishing Bob for interference in the stretch.

ROSARIO SET FOR RIDE ON CURLIN IN PREAKNESS – Should Daniel Dougherty’s Ride On Curlin move on to the Preakness following his seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, it will be with a new rider.

Agent Ron Anderson confirmed by telephone that Joel Rosario would be aboard Ride On Curlin in the Preakness (GI), the second jewel of the Triple Crown that will be run at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course on Saturday, May 17.  Rosario piloted Orb to victory in the 2013 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).

Trainer Billy Gowan was not happy with the ride Calvin Borel gave the colt in his seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

“I told him before the race that he had three-eighths of a mile to work his way over (from post 19),” Gowan said. “He (Ride On Curlin) was not tired at all after the Derby. He only ran three-eighths of a mile. He was more tired after his seven-eighths work last Sunday.”

Gowan said Ride On Curlin is doing well and would return to the track Wednesday.

Dougherty echoed his trainer’s thoughts.

“I walked back with him after the Arkansas Derby (G1) and he was tired,” Dougherty said of the runner-up effort. “He wasn’t tired Saturday.”

Even though his Derby dream was dashed, Dougherty was able to find one positive going forward with Ride On Curlin.

'It is only two weeks (to the Preakness) and you don’t want to leave it all out there on the track,” Dougherty said.

CALIFORNIA CHROME TO HEAD TO BALTIMORE NEXT MONDAY — Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) winner California Chrome had an easy morning walking the shedrow Monday at Churchill Downs.

“Everything is good here,” said Alan Sherman, son of trainer Art Sherman. “He’ll go back to the track Wednesday to jog and then will gallop every day until we go to Maryland.”

Alan Sherman said California Chrome is scheduled to fly to Baltimore next Monday.

After training hours, Alan Sherman and exercise rider Willie Delgado went to the Kentucky Derby Museum to pass out roses from the Derby blanket to lucky Museum visitors.

Owned by breeders Steven Coburn and Perry Martin, California Chrome will bring a five-race win streak to the Preakness, having won those races by a combined 26 ¼ lengths.

Orb also rode a five-race win streak into Pimlico last year, a streak that included a maiden and allowance win. California Chrome’s streak is comprised of all stakes victories.

The most recent Derby winner with a winning streak as long as California Chrome’s to extend it in the Preakness was Smarty Jones in 2004 when he hiked his undefeated run to eight.

BARN TALK — West Point Thoroughbreds’ Commanding Curve, runner-up to California Chrome in Kentucky Derby 140, walked at trainer Dallas Stewart’s barn Monday morning.

West Point also is part of the ownership of Ring Weekend, trained by Graham Motion.

“I don’t know about any other horses; I’m just training my horse,” Stewart said. “My horse came out of the race good. But it’s tough coming back in two weeks and there are a lot of other races out there.” …

John Oxley’s Dynamic Impact galloped before the morning renovation break at Churchill Downs with exercise rider Marco Cano up for trainer Mark Casse.

Winner of the Illinois Derby (GIII) in his most recent start, Dynamic Impact worked  five furlongs in 1:00.20 on Saturday morning at Churchill Downs.

“He worked well the other morning and he trained great today,” Casse said.

Casse plans to fly Dynamic Impact to Pimlico this Wednesday and that Miguel Mena will retain the mount for the Preakness. …

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said that Robert Baker and William Mack’s Hopeful (G1) winner Strong Mandate will not run in the Preakness.  “He’s not going,” said Lukas, who won his sixth Preakness last May with Oxbow. “I am going to wait until Saratoga.” …

Jon Court, who sustained a broken hand in a spill in Saturday’s 13^th race, was scheduled to see a doctor Monday to determine how long he would be sidelined, according to his agent Steve Krajcir. …

Trainer Steve Margolis said that Martin Cherry’s homebred Embellishing Bob, winner of the April 26 Derby Trial (GIII) via disqualification, is being pointed to the $500,000 Woody Stephens (GII) at seven furlongs on June 7 at Belmont Park.

Click here for a link to a PDF copy of the May 5, 2014 edition of Barn Notes.