Field still not set as Preakness Stakes draw looms

Growth Equity wins Saturday's Peter Pan Stakes at Aqueduct and could be a Belmont Stakes candidate. Photo by Susie Raisher, courtesy of NYRA

May 11 (UPI) -- With the post position draw for the Preakness Stakes looming Monday evening, other 3-year-olds around the globe were in action during the weekend in preparation for the European Classics and Royal Ascot.

For that matter, some 2-year-olds were prepping for the Royal meeting in Florida, too.

Its a fascinating time of year with lots of action.

The Triple Crown

Outfielder wins Saturday's William Walker at Churchill Downs and is headed to Royal Ascot's Coronation Cup. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs

After taking a week to evaluate their horses' condition and chances, it appears there will be two Kentucky Derby contenders among the 14 3-year-olds to be entered Monday evening for the Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park.

And the connections of many of the 14 seem to be hoping their draw number will have a single digit -- even though Derby winner Golden Tempo achieved his last-to-first triumph from the outside stall.

Rodeo Drive wins Sunday's Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo Racecourse.(Photo by and courtesy of Katsumi Saito

Silent Tactic, scratched from the Derby with a bruised foot, ranks as the likely favorite for the 1 3/16-mile Preakness if trainer Mark Casse is satisfied by Monday that the foot is healed.

"We have been training him with a full pad on his foot," Casse said Sunday of the Arkansas Derby runner-up. "It covers the bottom of his foot. You don't want to run in that [in a race] because you would not get the traction with that foot."

Also on a last-minute timetable was Great White, who was scratched from the Run for the Roses when he flipped behind the Churchill Downs starting gate. He is set to go in the Preakness, provided his connections give the all-clear at the last minute.

"He looks really good. He felt really good," trainer John Ennis said after riding the colt Sunday morning.

Ocelli, who drew into the Kentucky Derby after defections by other horses and then finished third, will try again in the Preakness, and jockey Tyler Gaffalione said he belongs, even though he has yet to win a single race.

"It only takes one," Gaffalione said. "He could definitely be that one."

Track officials said only six horses have recorded their first win in the Preakness -- none since Refund in 1888.

The other returning Derby starter, Robusta, launched from gate 18 at Churchill Downs as the last "also eligible" to make the field and finished 14th.

"From that gate, it was a real challenge," said trainer Doug O'Neill, joining a chorus of those looking for a middle to low draw at Laurel. Others looking inside included Chip Honcho's mentor, Steve Asmussen, Iron Honor's Chad Brown and local hope Taj Mahal's Brittany Russell.

Meanwhile, there was some on-track action at Aqueduct and Monmouth Park.

The weekend's two major 3-year-old races both went to Seth Klarman-owned, Chad Brown-trained colts with financial industry-related names.

On Sunday at Aqueduct, Growth Equity tracked the leaders in the $200,000 Grade III Peter Pan, came four-wide to challenge for the lead and got off to a 2-length victory.

The Nyquist colt ran 1 1/8 miles on a good track in 1:50.25 for jockey Flavien Prat. The colt now has two seconds and two wins to his credit. Brown said he'll discuss the Belmont Stakes with Klarman, but didn't sound enthusiastic about it.

On Sunday at Monmouth Park, Hedge Ratio came from off the pace in the $100,000 Long Branch Stakes and won by a head over Star Sweeper. The favorite, Bricklin, finished last of four. Assistant trainer Luis Cabrera said it's likely Hedge Ratio will stay at Monmouth.

Distaff / dirt mile

Irish Maxima maximized her lead all the way to the furlong marker in Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Ruffian Stakes at Aqueduct, leading by 6 lengths and more, and then held on to win by 1 length.

Sprint

Durante won Saturday's $175,000 Grade III John A. Nerud Stakes at Aqueduct by a neck with a late move. Pacesetter Acoustic Ave settled for second, with the odds-on favorite, One Nine Hundred, reporting fifth. It was the 11th win for the 7-year-old, none of which has come by a nose.

Turf sprint

Outfielder shadowed a breakaway longshot leader in Saturday's $225,000 William Walker Stakes for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs, launched a powerful stretch run and won by 3 lengths as the nearly even-money favorite.

Trainer Wesley Ward took him to France last year to finish fourth in the Group 1 Prix Morny. This year, the Coronation Cup at Royal Ascot is on the radar.

Marjoram started last in Saturday's $100,000 Grade III Senorita for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita, came four-wide across the dirt track and launched a bit that found her home first by a head over the favorite, Light Won Up.

Cadenza rallied to the lead in Saturday's $150,000 Take the A Train Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct and battled on to win by 1/2 length over Kingsolver.

2-year-old turf sprinters

Saturday's Royal Palm Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies at Gulfstream Park offered guaranteed entry and travel subsidies for next month's Royal Ascot 2-year-old sprints.

The Juvenile turned into a tussle between a pair of fillies -- the Patrick Biancone-trained Celtic Dispute and Wesley Ward trainee Skara Brae.

Skara Brae led and just failed to hold on as Celtic Dispute got up to win by a neck. Celtic Dispute finished second in her only previous start, a dirt sprint at Gulfsteam. Skara Brae won a Keeneland dirt sprint in her career bow.

The juvenile fillies devolved into an all-long shot finish, with 8-1 shot Liberty Rings leading all the way to a 1 1/4-length score over 12-1 chance Pros and Cons. It was another neck to 26-1 Sass Sass in third.

Around the world, around the clock

The Euro 3-year-olds

There were Derby and Oaks trials in France, England and Ireland through the weekend, with the most impressive performances coming Sunday in the French Guineas.

Diamond Necklace, one of Coolmore's hot hopes for the 3-year-old season, did nothing to discourage those hope,s as she swept down the soft turf and through Parisian rain to win Sunday's 1,000 Guineas at Longchamp by 3 lengths from Juddmonte's The Last Dance.

The St Mark's Basilica filly, with Ryan Moore up, remained undefeated after four starts. Trainer Aiden O'Brien said another Classic is on the filly's dance card. But which one?

"We had it in our head she'd be either a Prix de Diane filly or go for the [Betfred] Oaks, depending what the lads want to do," O'Brien said.

Not all 3-year-old races were Derby trials, and in fact Sunday's French 2,000 Guineas turns out to have been a St James's Palace prep after the Aga Khan's Studs Rayif swept to a handy win despite rain-softened ground and a 217-day layoff.

"These silks seem to be walking on water at the moment," said trainer Francis Graffard, according to Racing Post. True enough, as last season was spectacular and 2026 isn't slowing down with last year's stars, Callandagan and Daryz, picking up where they left off.

Next up for Rayif? Princess Zahra, headmistress of the Aga Khan's Studs, wears her heart on her sleeve, and again citing Racing Post, whispered, "Royal Ascot" after nodding in her trainer's direction. That could mean a showdown with English 2000 Guineas winner Bow Echo. Nice.

Japan

Rodeo Drive needed every step of the 1,600 meters of Sunday's Grade 1 NHK Mile to confirm that's his distance -- at least for now. After racing far back in the 15-horse field, and then dropping back to last turning for home, he ran by them all and outfinished Ask Ikigomi to win by a nose.

It was the fourth start for the Saturnalia colt, three of them wins and all at the same 1,600 meters or about 1 mile.

Others in the Mile, restricted to 3-year-olds, gave it a try at longer distances to start their season but, failing at that, retreated to the shorter trip.

Among them was last year's 2-year-old champ, Cavallerizzo, who finished 13th in the 2,000-meter Satsuki Sho in his previous start and did little better in the Mile, reporting 12th.