Firing Line Open Gallops a Second Day

Arnold Zetcher’s Firing Line, the Kentucky Derby runner-up, joined the Bob Baffert-trained Preakness contenders on the Churchill track Monday morning.

Trained by Simon Callaghan, Firing Line stood at the six-furlong gap for a few minutes before backtracking to the front side. Under exercise rider Humberto Gomez, Firing Line galloped 1 ½ miles with the final half of the exercise being an open gallop similar to Sunday’s exercise.

“It was the same thing as yesterday; maybe a little slower,” Gomez said.

Carlos Santamaria, who is overseeing the colt’s preparations in Louisville while Callaghan is at his Santa Anita base, continued to give off good vibes about the colt who has compiled a 6-2-4-0 record in his career.

“He has been galloping good and eating well and very happy with the last two days,” Santamaria said. “I know he has a lot of heart and will give his best to the end (like he did in the Derby).”

Santamaria said Firing Line is scheduled to have a regular gallop Tuesday but likely would not train Wednesday morning before shipping to Baltimore where he will be trying to reverse a negative trend regarding Derby runners-up in the Preakness.

Since 1960, only three horses that ran second in the Run for the Roses took the Preakness. They were Bally Ache (1960), Summer Squall (1990) and Prairie Bayou (1993).

Source: Maryland Jockey Club