New Yorkers Draw Posts 3-5 in Preakness; Bandbox, Straight Story on Undercard

Wed.’s edition of the Thoroughbred Daily News features a full-length article by Lucas Marquardt on Tony Grey, principle owner and breeder of Zetterholm, who will make his graded stakes debut on Saturday in the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Preakness Stakes. The article covers Grey’s early involvement in breeding and racing in New York, success with Zetterholm’s multiple stakes-producing dam Holy Wish, and Grade 1 triumph with Franny Freud. Click here to read full article.

Trainer Chris Grove confirmed on Tues. that Kidwells Petite Stable’s Pretension will run in Sat.’s Preakness. The colt’s 87-year-old owner, Annapolis resident Irving Kidwell, briefly in a MD hospital earlier in the week, gave the go-ahead. “I think the delay in the decision came down to that he didn’t want to run if he wasn’t going to be there,” said Grove. Pretension, winner of the Canonero II S. at PIM (5/5), jogged indoors at Bowie Training Center on Tues. due to heavy rain. Also on Tues. NY-Bred Preakness hopefuls Went the Day Well galloped 1 ½ miles on the Tapeta surface at Fair Hills Training Center, while Zetterholm jogged at PIM.

After shipping to MD on Sat., Preakness hopeful Zetterholm posted a 5f breeze at Pimlico on Sun. (1.01:40) under exercise rider Mario Madrid. Supervising was Blake Dutrow, the 20-year-old nephew of trainer Richard Dutrow Jr., who said, “It was all very basic. It was all good." Photo (Jim McCue) Zetterholm is acclimating well to new surroundings, including home in Stall 40, usually reserved for the Derby winner, but available this year, and in 2008 occupied by Dutrow-trainee Big Brown before his Preakness victory. Zetterholm walked the shedrow on Monday. Preakness-minded Went the Day Well continues to gallop at Fair Hill. The Preakness status of Pretension, training at Bowie, is still undetermined.

When the Friday defection of Dullahan from the Preakness moved Zetterholm from the AEs into the main body of the field, owner/breeder Tony Grey and trainer Rick Dutrow decided to scratch from today’s Peter Pan at Belmont in favor of the classic at Pimlico. “We’re ready to roll,” Dutrow said. “We don’t know if our horse can be doing any better. We’re very, very happy with him, and we have been for the last few months. He’s been fun to be around and we haven’t had to worry about anything with him.” After a regular gallop at AQU on Sat. the stakes-winner will have a timed work at Pimlico on Sun.

Barry K. Schwartz’s homebred The Lumber Guy (Grand Slam), winner of the G2 Jerome last out, and considering both Peter Pan and Preakness, committed on Mon. to the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan to be run on Sat at BEL. The Mike Hushion-trainee (4-1 ML) will go to post 2 (of 12) under Jerome jockey Mike Luzzi. It is likely that Winter Park Partners’ Zetterholm (Silver Train), who took the Patsy Prospect on 4/6, will also opt for the Peter Pan, rather than risk getting shut out of the Preakness as an AE. Drawn in post 3 he is 20 ML, with Junior Alvarado getting the repeat call. Entries.

NY-bred Champion Turf Female Hessonite (Freud) and her chief rival in the division Gitchee Goomie (City Zip) will meet 8-5 ML favorite Winter Memories (El Prado) and six others in Sat.’s G3, $150K Beaugay for fillies and mares at BEL. Hessonite (6-1 ML) breaks from post 4 under Irad Ortiz, Jr. for the 1 1/16-mile turf contest. Admitting that the Beaugay is a tough spot for Hessonite's 4YO debut, trainer David Donk said, "As fit as I have her, there’s no reason to sit on her for three more weeks [until the Mount Vernon for NY-Bred fillies and mares]. We’ll take a shot in the Beaugay and try to get a piece of it.” 5YO Gitchee Goomie (12-1 ML), who exits a close runner-up finish in a turf allowance at GP on March 30, drew post 6 under Alan Garcia. Entries.

On Thurs. morning Team Valor International and Mark Ford’s Went the Day Well (post 13, 20-1 ML) galloped a mile before standing in the starting gate and galloping just shy of another mile at Churchill Downs. As the son of Proud Citizen seeks to follow in Funny Cide's footsteps and become the second NY-Bred to win the classic, a Derby victory for Graham Motion, Team Valor and John Velazquez, would make them the first owner, trainer, jockey combination to win the Kentucky Derby back-to-back since Penny Chenery’s Meadow Stable, trainer Lucien Lauren and jockey Ron Turcotte doubled up with Riva Ridge and Secretariat in 1972-73.

Went the Day Well galloped 1 1/8 miles on Tues. AM at CD under exercise rider Zeke Castro with assistant trainer David Rock supervising. Photo 1. Photo 2. (Debra Roma) Trainer Graham Motion was scheduled to arrive in the afternoon. Team Valor International CEO Bradley Weisbord, on hand to observe, said, “It’s hard to believe that a year later we’re back, not only with a horse, but a horse that has a chance to win the race, the right horse.” Team Valor and Motion won the KY Derby last year with Animal Kingdom. The post-position draw for the KY Derby will be televised from 5-6 p.m. EDT on NBC Sports Network.

After walking the shedrow at CD on Sun. following his 1:01 5f work under John Velazquez on Sat., Went the Day Well jogged 1m on Mon. morning under the supervision of David Rock, assistant to trainer Graham Motion. “I was very pleased with the work,” said Motion from Fair Hill. “I’ve watched it a couple of times since and have become even more pleased. I don’t know what more he could have done.” Wearing small-cup blinkers for the work, Went The Day Well will race with blinkers for the first time in the Derby. Photos (Debra Roma): On the track. Bath. Headshot.

Offspring of Congaree secured two stakes-placings on Sat. Jeranimo charged late for second in the Grade 3, $150,000 San Francisco Mile S. at Golden Gate (turf), while Catalina Way was the runner up in the Peach of It H. at Hawthorne. Jeranimo, a 6YO FL-bred son of Congaree, is a four-time G2 winner and his sire’s leading earner ($888,400). Sire of 11 stakes winners, including four graded winners, Congaree stands at Highcliff Farm in Delanson.