Dazzling Gem Breezes for Possible Start in Preakness 2016

Steve Landers Racing’s Dazzling Gem had his third Churchill Downs work since finishing fourth in the Arkansas Derby (Grade I), breezing a half-mile in :49.60 Sunday morning.

With exercise rider Fernando Espinoza aboard, Dazzling Gem was one of the first horses on the fast track after it opened for training a little before 6 a.m. Working on his own, Dazzling Gem produced fractions of :12.60, :24.60, :49.60 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.80 and six furlongs in 1:16.40.

The work was the 16th fastest of 30 at the distance.

“I thought he worked really well; nice and steady,” trainer Brad Cox said. “He is fit and I didn’t want to do a lot with him. It was just a maintenance work.”

Cox said no decision had been made whether Dazzling Gem would run in Saturday’s Preakness (GI) or on the Pimlico undercard that day in the Sir Barton Stakes.

Source: Churchill Downs