Triple Crown Tracker: 1 race will attract Taiba, Simplification next
Ethereal Road, who scratched from this year's Kentucky Derby, was the only entrant from the Run for the Roses to race in the past two weeks.
Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Ethereal Road made his second turf try in Saturday's Saranac (G3) at Saratoga. He chased at the rear of the compact four-horse field and weakened down the lane to finish last, 17 1/2 lengths adrift of wire-to-wire winner Annapolis.
Three Kentucky Derby runners are likely working toward the Pennsylvania Derby (G1). Taiba and Simplification are probable for Parx's signature race, while White Abarrio is possible.
| Derby | Horse | Last Race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rich Strike | 4th, Travers (G1) | No works since last race |
| 2 | Epicenter | 1st, Travers (G1) | No works since last race |
| 3 | Zandon | 3rd, Travers (G1) | No works since last race |
| 4 | Simplification | 3rd, West Virginia Derby (G3) | Worked 5f Sept. 3 at Colonial Downs |
| 5 | Mo Donegal | 1st, Belmont Stakes (G1) | Sidelined with bone bruising |
| 6 | Barber Road | 7th, Belmont Stakes (G1) | No works since last race |
| 7 | Tawny Port | 3rd, Jim Dandy (G2) | Worked 5f Sept. 3 at Churchill Downs |
| 8 | Smile Happy | 8th, Kentucky Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 9 | Tiz the Bomb | 4th, National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2) | No works since last race |
| 10 | Zozos | 10th, Kentucky Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 11 | Classic Causeway | 3rd, Saratoga Derby (G1) | Worked 5f Sept. 4 at Saratoga |
| 12 | Taiba | 2nd, Haskell Invitational (G1) | Worked 5f Sept. 3 at Del Mar |
| 13 | Crown Pride (JPN) | 13th, Kentucky Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 14 | Happy Jack | 6th, H. Allen Jerkens (G1) | No works since last race |
| 15 | Messier | 15th, Kentucky Derby (G1) | Worked 3f July 28 at Los Alamitos |
| 16 | White Abarrio | 7th, Haskell Invitational (G1) | Worked 5f Sept. 4 at Saratoga |
| 17 | Charge It | 1st, Dwyer (G3) | Missed Travers (G1) due to foot abscess |
| 18 | Cyberknife | 2nd, Travers (G1) | No works since last race |
| 19 | Pioneer of Medina | 8th, Smarty Jones (G3) | Worked 4f Sept. 4 at Belmont |
| 20 | Summer Is Tomorrow | 20th, Kentucky Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| SCR | Ethereal Road | 4th, Saranac (G3) | Worked 5f Aug. 24 at Saratoga |
| SCR | Rattle N Roll | 1st, St. Louis Derby | No works since last race |
Armagnac, after a fourth-place finish in the La Jolla (G3) on grass Aug. 7, returned to the dirt Saturday for the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar. He was sent off the second choice at 2-1, though did not get near his customary frontrunning position and weakened to finish fifth and last, 21 lengths behind long shot winner Go Joe Won.
Fenwick tried the undulating turf at Kentucky Downs for the first time in a first-level allowance Saturday. Given a 9.33-1 chance by the wagering public, he settled near the rear and stayed on in the lane to pass weakening foes. He crossed the wire seventh, six lengths behind winner Dominican Pioneer.
| Preakness | Horse | Last Race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Early Voting | 8th, Travers (G1) | No works since last race |
| 2 | Epicenter | 1st, Travers (G1) | No works since last race |
| 3 | Creative Minister | 3rd, Smarty Jones (G3) | No works since last race |
| 4 | Secret Oath | 2nd, Alabama (G1) | Worked 4f Aug. 30 at Saratoga |
| 5 | Skippylongstocking | 1st, West Virginia Derby (G3) | Worked 5f Sept. 4 at Saratoga |
| 6 | Simplification | 3rd, West Virginia Derby (G3) | Worked 5f Sept. 3 at Colonial Downs |
| 7 | Armagnac | 5th, Shared Belief S. | No works since last race |
| 8 | Happy Jack | 6th, H. Allen Jerkens (G1) | No works since last race |
| 9 | Fenwick | 7th, Allowance (Sept. 3, KD) | No works since last race |
Two Belmont entrants, the 1-2 finishers in the West Virginia Derby (G3), recently worked out. Skippylongstocking, a winner at Mountaineer, drilled a bullet five furlongs at the Spa on Sunday. It was his third work back since that score. We the People breezed at WinStar Training Center on Saturday; it was also his third work back since the West Virginia Derby. There is no publicly identified goal for either horse yet.
| Belmont | Horse | Last Race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mo Donegal | 1st, Belmont (G1) | Sidelined with bone bruising |
| 2 | Nest | 1st, Alabama (G1) | No works since last race |
| 3 | Skippylongstocking | 1st, West Virginia Derby (G3) | Worked 5f Sept. 4 at Saratoga |
| 4 | We the People | 2nd, West Virginia Derby (G3) | Worked 5f Sept. 3 at WinStar Training Center |
| 5 | Creative Minister | 3rd, Smarty Jones (G3) | No works since last race |
| 6 | Rich Strike | 4th, Travers (G1) | No works since last race |
| 7 | Barber Road | 7th, Belmont (G1) | No works since last race |
| 8 | Golden Glider | 6th, Curlin S. | No works since last race |