David Grening

6 days ago | attheraces.com | David Grening

By David Grening, Daily Racing FormGoal Oriented, a first-level allowance winner on the Kentucky Derby Day undercard at Churchill Downs, is now being pointed to the Preakness Stakes, Tom Ryan of SF Racing, which is part owner of the colt, said Thursday. Goal Oriented will join Grade 2 Wood Memorial winner Rodriguez as trainer Bob Baffert’s Preakness horses. Baffert has won the Preakness a record eight times, most recently with National Treasure in 2023.

1 week ago | attheraces.com | David Grening

By David Grening, Daily Racing FormThis year’s Preakness won’t have the Kentucky Derby winner, but it will have a rare European shipper. On Tuesday, the connections of Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty announced their horse would skip the Preakness and point to the June 7 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga. Trainer Bill Mott cited the two-week turnaround as the reason Sovereignty would be held out of the Preakness.

1 week ago | attheraces.com | David Grening

By David Grening, Daily Racing FormWhen Sovereignty runs in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 7, he will not be attempting to win the Triple Crown. The connections of Sovereignty on Tuesday said they would skip the Preakness on May 17 and point to the Belmont, which for the second straight year will be run at Saratoga and at 1 1/4 miles, as opposed to its usual distance of 1 1/2 miles.

1 week ago | attheraces.com | David Grening

By David Grening, Daily Racing FormIt won’t hurt trainer Steve Asmussen’s feelings if Sovereignty and Journalism, the one-two finishers from Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, skip the Preakness Stakes on May 17 at Pimlico. Asmussen plans to run the lightly raced Clever Again in the Preakness, and if neither Sovereignty nor Journalism run – their connections were lukewarm Sunday morning – the degree of difficulty certainly lessens. “They don’t ever list on the trophy who skipped the race,” Asmussen said.

1 week ago | attheraces.com | David Grening

By David Grening, Daily Racing FormThough Sovereignty came out of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby victory in good shape - save a superficial scrape on his right front pastern - he is far from definite to move on to Pimlico and pursue the Triple Crown at the Preakness Stakes in two weeks, his connections said Sunday morning. “We want to do what’s best for the horse,” trainer Bill Mott said outside his Churchill barn on a rainy Sunday morning.