Blinkers On for Happy Jack in Preakness

Trainer Doug O'Neill experimented in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) with Happy Jack .

It didn't work.

So, when the son of 2013 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Oxbow   runs in Saturday's Preakness at Pimlico Race Course, O'Neill will put the blinkers back on Happy Jack.

Happy Jack wore the hood in three of his first four starts before O'Neill opted to remove them before the Run for the Roses. Happy Jack was never a factor, finishing 14th at odds of 23-1.

"In the Derby, you're trying to navigate 1 1/4 miles against 19 other horses," O'Neill said, who won the Preakness in 2012 with I'll Have Another. "By taking the blinkers off, I thought it would give him a chance to get a little breather."

Happy Jack wore the blinkers in his first career start and broke his maiden at Santa Anita Park Jan. 22. O'Neill kept them on in the Feb. 6 Robert B. Lewis (G3) and the colt finished last in the field of five, beaten 27 1/4 lengths.

The hood came off in the March 5 San Felipe Stakes (G2) and Happy Jack was third, beaten 10 1/2 lengths. They were back on in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) and he was third again, finishing 12 1/4 lengths behind Taiba .

Heading into the Preakness, the blinkers are going back on.

"He is kind of a grinder," O'Neill said. "I think he has to be more involved early. Hopefully, with a shorter field, a better post position and with the blinkers on, he can be more forwardly placed. He's a trier and a stayer, and I think he can make up more ground more forwardly placed."

Happy Jack is scheduled to arrive in Baltimore on Tuesday. He galloped 1 1/4 miles at Churchill Downs Sunday morning. Also arriving on the Pimlico grounds Tuesday are probable Preakness favorite Epicenter , Fern Circle Stables and Back Racing's Creative Minister , and Early Voting , who breezed five-furlongs in 1:00.63 at Belmont Park for trainer Chad Brown Friday.

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter, the narrow runner-up in the Kentucky Derby, had his penultimate training session at Churchill Downs Sunday morning before being vanned to Baltimore Tuesday. Epicenter galloped 1 1/2 miles Sunday morning and will have one of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen's famous easy half-mile works early Monday morning.

"He seems to be pretty sharp," said assistant trainer Scott Blasi, who oversees Asmussen's Churchill division. "I love how he's doing. He galloped today like that was nothing; walked off the track with good energy. We'll put a little work in him and go. Not much to do from here on out.... (but) win," an apparent reference to Epicenter's huge effort in the Derby, when he looked like the winner in mid-stretch only to get passed in the final strides on the inside by 80-1 Rich Strike .

Asmussen won the Preakness in 2007 with 2007-2008 Horse of the Year Curlin   and in 2009 with Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra .

All Systems 'Go' for Un Ojo to Run in Preakness 

Un Ojo , the one-eyed winner of Oaklawn Park's Rebel Stakes (G2) at 75-1 odds, came out of his Saturday workout in good order and is scheduled to van to Baltimore Monday afternoon, trainer Ricky Courville said.

The gelding worked five-eighths of a mile at Churchill Downs in 1:02, galloping out three-quarters of a mile in a strong 1:14 3/5. He had a scheduled walk day Sunday, with his care overseen by Courville's son and assistant trainer, Clay Courville.

"I mean, we had a lot of confidence heading into the Derby," Ricky Courville said. "He was working so good over the Churchill track. Because he's not much of a workhorse, he never was. He'd work here at Copper Crowne (Training Center). It's kind of a two-turn five-eighths work over a six-furlong track. He'll go in 1:03, 1:02 if you ask him. He goes to Churchill and goes in :59 and just looks like he's loping. He was loving that track."      

Shake Em Loose to Skip Preakness 

J R Sanchez Racing Stable's Shake Em Loose  will now bypass the Preakness in favor of the James W. Murphy Stakes, a mile stakes on the turf for 3-year-olds on Saturday's undercard.

 The Shakin It Up   gelding breezed a half-mile on the Laurel Park turf course Sunday morning in :51 1/5 to the satisfaction of owner/trainer Rudy Sanchez-Salomon.

The connections of Shake Em Loose nominated the gelding to the Triple Crown following his win in the March 19 Private Terms Stakes at Laurel. A former $16,000 claimer, Shake Em Loose was third behind Joe  and Mr Jefferson  last out in the April 16 Frederico Tesio Stakes.