Preakness 2018 news: Quip 'way more professional' in training
Quip jogged a mile Tuesday at Keeneland in preparation for the 2018 Preakness Stakes under trainer Rodolphe Brisset while returning to the track for the first time since breezing four furlongs in 48.20 seconds Sunday.
“He walked yesterday. He jogged and stood in the gate today. Everything is good,” Brisset said. “He’s showing good energy. He was very sound this morning. He went to the gate and he was at peace, so we’re in good shape.”
The son of Distorted Humor, who is owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and SF Racing, was not always so cooperative during his 2-year-old campaign that concluded with a troubled seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs that followed a debut victory at Churchill and a front-running 6 ½-length victory in a Keeneland allowance.
“He’s changed a lot. After the Kentucky Jockey Club, we gave him a couple of weeks off. When he came to us at Fair Grounds, you could see the maturation,” Brisset said. “You still have to be a little careful when he’s around too many horses. He’s still studdish. You still have to be a little careful, but he’s way more professional.”
Quip captured the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) in his 2018 debut March 10 and finished second in the Arkansas Derby (G1) April 14.
The WinStar homebred is scheduled to meet up with Kentucky Derby winner Justify and Lone Sailor in Louisville Wednesday morning for a scheduled flight to Baltimore.
“He’s going to do an easy mile. We’re supposed to get rain, so we’ll see how
the track is going to be, I’m going to get on him and do a little something,
nothing crazy and then he vans to Louisville about 8:30,” Brisset said. “I’m
going to head there before him. I can race him there.”
Lone
Sailor Doesn’t Break a Sweat in Morning Gallop
G M B Racing’s Preakness contender Lone Sailor went out for a routine gallop at Churchill Downs at his normal 5:45 a.m. time Tuesday, and exercise rider Maurice Sanchez came off the track saying, “I sweated more than he did.”
That statement was music to trainer Tom Amoss’ ears regarding the late-running Kentucky Derby eighth-place finisher who narrowly lost the Louisiana Derby (G2).
“The things you’re looking for in deciding whether to run back quickly are: How is his weight? How is his appetite? And how is his energy on the racetrack?” Amoss said. “All those three things get a check in the box. He’s doing well. We’re looking forward to running.”
Amoss hopes Lone Sailor and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. are able to avoid the kind of traffic that compromised the son of Majestic Warrior’s trip in the Derby.
“I’ve got great respect for Justify, as well as the second-place horse, Good Magic,” Amoss said. “What can we do to have a better placing against those horses, rather than eighth like we had in the Kentucky Derby? We have to have a clean trip. We can’t get stopped in the race, lose ground because we’re waiting for traffic and then have to get a late start. It’s the equivalent of giving a head start to your competition in a race. You don’t want to give a head start to those two, that’s for sure.”
Lone Sailor is scheduled to fly to Baltimore Wednesday on the same noon flight in the company of Justify and Quip.
Tenfold Hits the Road to Baltimore Early Tuesday Morning
Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Tenfold left Churchill Downs via van for Baltimore at 5 a.m. Tuesday, said Scott Blasi, assistant trainer to Steve Asmussen, noting that the son of 2007 Preakness winner Curlin came out of his Monday work (four furlongs in 49 2/5 seconds) in good order.
Asmussen is scheduled to run about a dozen horses Friday and Saturday at Pimlico, including some that shipped Monday. Blasi was scheduled for a noon flight to Baltimore.
“Now we just need to be fast enough,” Blasi said.
Tenfold, who did not race at 2, has raced three times: winning his first two starts at Oaklawn Park before finishing fifth in the Arkansas Derby. Ricardo Santana Jr., aboard for the two victories, has the mount.