California Chrome returns to track ahead of Preakness Stakes

Louisville, KY (SportsNetwork.com) – Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome headed back to the racetrack Wednesday morning for the first time since his victory in the Run for the Roses last Saturday.

With exercise rider Willie Delgado riding, California Chrome jogged a mile at Churchill Downs with trainer Art Sherman’s son Alan on hand.

“It went really good,” Alan Sherman said. “He wanted to train; he was tired of walking.”

The 3-year-old colt, owned by Steven Coburn and Perry Martin, will gallop at Churchill Thursday and Friday this week and then travel by plane to Baltimore for the Preakness.

“I still haven’t heard about the plane; whether we will go to Pimlico Monday or Wednesday,” Sherman said. “I’d prefer Monday. The key now is to keep him happy.”

Other Preakness probables exercising Wednesday at Churchill Downs included seventh-place Kentucky Derby finisher Ride On Curlin, Bayern, Dynamic Impact and Ria Antonia.

Ride On Curlin, trained by Billy Gowan, galloped 1 1/8 miles with exercise rider Bryan Beccia. The colt will be ridden by Joel Rosario in the Preakness.

“I will probably work him a slow half when he gets to Pimlico,” Gowan said.

Derby Trial runner-up Bayern jogged a mile with exercise rider Jorge Alvarez. The colt will gallop Thursday and work again on Monday. Rosie Napravnik will ride for trainer Bob Baffert at Pimlico.

“That is our usual routine to work five days out and then ship on Wednesday,” Baffert assistant Jim Barnes said.

Illinois Derby winner Dynamic Impact galloped 1 1/2 miles with exercise rider Marco Cano in the saddle. Miguel Mena has the mount for the Preakness.

Ria Antonia, winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, also galloped 1 1/2 miles at Churchill with Maurice Sanchez riding. Owned by Christopher Dunn and Loooch Racing Stable, the filly is now trained by Tom Amoss after her sixth-place finish in last Friday’s Kentucky Oaks. She had been in Baffert’s barn.

Categorized in: Horses