Pletcher, Dream team still rolling
BALTIMORE — In the aftermath of his commanding 2 3⁄4- length triumph in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, Always Dreaming was installed as the strong 4-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s 142nd running of the Preakness Stakes during yesterday’s post-position draw at Pimlico Race Course.
If you liked the Todd Pletcher-trained colt before his eye-catching Derby romp, you probably should consider staying on his bandwagon for the 13⁄ 16mile middle leg of the Triple Crown.
“He’s been training great for a long time now and he continues to show us the same things he showed us leading up to the Derby,” Pletcher said. “He’s full of himself; he’s energetic; he’s shown us everything we’d hoped he would.”
While training at Churchill Downs, Always Dreaming became more than a little rambunctious, prompting Pletcher to change to a stronger exercise rider and equip the son of Bodemeister with reins that would make him easier to control. Nick Bush has remained his exercise rider and the “draw reins” have still been a part of Always Dreaming’s attire during his morning gallops since arriving at Pimlico two days following the Derby. He’s drawn rave reviews from his four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer.
“He’s doing super — strong but controlled,” said Pletcher, whose morning-line favorite was not equipped with draw reins in the Derby, and won’t wear them Saturday.
Pletcher exudes far more pre-Preakness confidence than he did in 2010, when he brought his first Kentucky Derby winner, Super Saver, to Pimlico.
“With Super Saver, my concern was the two-week turnaround,” Pletcher said. “It was a little quick for him. He was training well, acting well, but I wasn’t seeing the same energy level from him galloping. When he was good, he would be somewhat aggressive to gallop. The few days we were here, he didn’t seem like he was putting the same energy into his gallops that he was at Churchill. The twoweek turnaround hurt him. With Always Dreaming, I feel like he’s ready to go.”
Always Dreaming drew the No. 4 post position for the Preakness, which attracted a field of 10 3-yearolds, including Classic Empire, who was rated second in the morning-line at 3-1 after drawing Post No. 5.
Classic Empire’s trainer, Mark Casse, is hardly disappointed by the size of the Preakness field, half that of the Derby.
“There’s 10 less to wipe you out,” he quipped.
Classic Empire, who was the morning-line favorite for the Derby, but went to post as the 6-1 third betting choice, was slammed between horses leaving the starting gate in the first leg of the Triple Crown. Forced to race wide under jockey Julien Leparoux on a track that seemed to favor horses racing along the inside paths, Classic Empire persevered to finish fourth.
“According to Julien, we got really hit. He said he wasn’t sure how he stayed on,” Casse said. “I don’t know, honestly, how he finished fourth.”
Classic Empire, labeled a “bad boy” by his connections, had refused to participate in scheduled workouts on a few occasions during the winter, but was a most willing participant in the Derby in the face of extreme adversity.
“It just seemed to make him more determined,” Casse said. “He’s fired up. He’s ready.”
Encouraged by Classic Empire’s impressive demonstration of resolve in the Derby, Casse is anxious for his colt, last year’s 2-yearold champion, to do battle with Always Dreaming in the Preakness.
“The Preakness is more of a true-run race. We have the utmost respect for Always Dreaming. We just want a fair shot at him,” Casse said. “I’m not sure we can beat him, but we’re going to give it a try.”
The Preakness field will include three other colts who competed in the Derby: Lookin At Lee (second), Gunnevera (seventh) and Hence (11th)
The Steve Asmussen-trained Lookin At Lee, who was rated as the 10-1 third choice for the Preakness, received a dream rail-skimming trip in the Derby, while his stablemate Hence (20-1) and Gunnevera (15-1) both encountered traffic.
Newcomers to the Triple Crown campaign include Cloud Computing (12-1), Conquest Mo Money (151), Multiplier (30-1), Senior Investment (30-1) and Term of Art (30-1).