Derby champion heads for Pimlico
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming will arrive at Pimlico Race Course on Tuesday morning to get an early start on preparations for the May 20 Preakness.
It’s a strategic move for trainer Todd Pletcher, who endured several tense moments as he tried to settle Always Dreaming in the runup to the Derby.
The colt struggled to adjust to Churchill Downs when he arrived, showing far more aggressiveness than Pletcher wanted during his morning gallops.
The trainer responded by changing exercise riders and putting Always Dreaming in draw reins, which anchor to the girth (the piece of equipment that keeps the saddle in place) and give the jockey more leverage to check the horse’s momentum.
Pletcher said Always Dreaming was less hyper when shipped to unfamiliar tracks in the past.
But it’s striking that he’s giving the Derby champion almost two weeks to adjust to Pimlico.
He said he’ll likely keep the draw reins on as well.
“He was so headstrong when he got here that I don’t think staying here for another week is going to be an advantage,” Pletcher said Sunday morning.
“I don’t think going to Belmont for a week and then moving again is an advantage.
“So just looking at what the options are, I think Pimlico, there aren’t usually a lot of horses training there, and it’ll be a quiet environment. It’ll give us time to settle in and if we need to, make any adjustments.”
Pletcher is winless in eight attempts at the Preakness and is actually known for skipping the race to rest his horses for the Belmont Stakes.
His previous Derby winner, Super Saver, finished a disappointing eighth at Pimlico in 2010.
But he said he’s looking forward to putting Always Dreaming in Stall 40 at Pimlico, the corner spot traditionally reserved for the Derby winner.
“I think we want to follow the tradition,” he said. “That stall’s been successful plenty of times. And Pimlico is usually great. They’re very accommodating.”
Pletcher was back to his reserved self Sunday morning after displaying unusually vivid emotions in the moments after Always Dreaming’s victory.
He acknowledged that a second Derby victory meant a great deal to him given all the criticism he’d faced for his low winning percentage in the race.
“It feels awesome,” he said. “I think it’s still sinking in. The first one’s special but this one is just as good or even better. We felt coming in we had a good chance and we had some anxious moments during the week. But we were just happy to see him deliver the performance we felt he was capable of.”
Pletcher deliberately kept Always Dreaming on a light schedule, aiming to arrive at the Derby with a fresh horse.
He hopes that approach will continue to pay off in the Preakness and, if all goes well, the Belmont.
He said Always Dreaming came out of the Derby with plenty of energy and a hearty appetite.
The colt will gallop daily at Pimlico rather than squeeze in a harder and timed workout.