Happy Jack, Fenwick Take First Spins Around Pimlico

Preakness Stakes (G1) contenders Happy Jack  and Fenwick  took their first spins around Pimlico Race Course the morning of May 19. Both colts arrived on the grounds May 18.

With exercise rider Antonio Romero on his back, the Doug O'Neill-trained Happy Jack went out to the track at 6:30 a.m. and jogged a half-mile and galloped a half-mile.

"(He went) nice and easy," said Sabas Rivera, the barn foreman for O'Neill.

Happy Jack, a homebred son of Oxbow   racing for Calumet Farm, is listed at 30-1 on the morning line for the Preakness. He will be ridden for the first time by Tyler Gaffalione on Saturday.

"He felt great out there," Romero said. "I thought he handled the track really good."

Happy Jack is coming off a 14th place finish in the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). After breaking his maiden impressively in January at Santa Anita Park, he was fifth in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3), third in the San Felipe Stakes (G2), and third in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) prior to his Kentucky Derby run.

Although he didn't wear blinkers in the Derby, O'Neill has reported that the colt will have blinkers on for Saturday's race.

Happy Jack is the only Preakness horse not being stabled at the Pimlico Stakes Barn. He is a few barns away in Barn D, the same place where O’Neill housed his other Preakness runners, including Kentucky Derby winners I’ll Have Another in 2012 and Nyquist   in 2016. I’ll Have Another prevailed in the Preakness by a neck while Nyquist was third behind Exaggerator  .

Rivera relayed that Happy Jack is scheduled to go out to the track Friday morning at about the same time but said O’Neill will make the final decision after he gets to the barn for the first time. O'Neill is expected to arrive in Baltimore from California on a flight Thursday night.

Villa Rosa Farm and Harlo Stable's Fenwick entered the track at 6 a.m. Thursday morning under exercise rider Kelton Brown.

"I backed him up about half a mile and let him gallop around really slow and take everything in," said Brown. "It's a lot with all the cameras and everything. He handled everything like a champ."

Given 50-1 morning-line odds for the Preakness, trainer Kevin McKathan said his colt could be dangerous if he can use his speed to get to the lead. The Curlin   colt drew post 3 and will be ridden by Florent Geroux.

"They asked about the post-position draw and I'm just happy to be between the fences," McKathan said. "Give me a shot. With a little luck and God's help, I think he will run big."

Fenwick graduated at Tampa Bay Downs by 5 1/4 lengths in a March 12 maiden special weight before finishing 11th in the April 9 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland in his previous start. He breezed five furlongs May 13 at Churchill Downs in 1:00 4/5.