Kentucky Derby Top Three Back on Track

American Pharoah and Dortmund, stablemates who finished first and third, respectively, in the May 2 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), returned to the track at Churchill Downs May 7 for the first time since Saturday's Run for the Roses.

Going out in trainer Bob Baffert's second set at 6:15 a.m. EDT, Zayat Stables' American Pharoah was first on the track with regular exercise rider Jorge Alvarez aboard. Following right behind was Kaleem Shah's Dortmund with Dana Barnes in the saddle.

The two colts jogged once around the track.

"Everything is good here. Everybody is happy," assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes said.

Baffert is scheduled to return to Churchill from his Southern California base late in the day May 10, but on May 7 he offered his thoughts on how his two colts are doing in preparation for the May 16 Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I).

"It's a good position to be in," he said. "We're used to it, so we know what to expect when we get there. Nothing is new. We're just going to enjoy it, take it in and hopefully we get lucky again and win another Preakness."

Baffert said that having the top two choices in the Derby field was tough on him. "I knew I had this loaded gun with these two great bullets in it. I was just thinking that I need to win this race," he said.

Baffert has won the Preakness with his three previous Derby winners: Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002). It will, however, be the first time that he saddles a stablemate against a Derby winner and possibly prevent American Pharoah from taking the second step toward a Triple Crown.

Dortmund, owned by Kaleem Shah, set the pace for a mile and showed grit to preserve third in the Derby.

"He deserves another chance. He ran his race," Baffert said. "It's a little bit shorter; he might like that. In my barn, everyone gets an equal, fair shot. Kaleem told me, 'If you think he's going to run well, run him.' He left it up to me, so it's actually my call.

"As long as I feel comfortable that when I lead one up there I want to make sure I'm not going to embarrass somebody and he's going to run his race. As long as he looks great (May 11-12) I don't see why not give him another chance at it. He's a very good horse."

Also on the track for the first times since the Derby was Arnold Zetcher's runner-up Firing Line, with regular exercise rider Humberto Gomez aboard. He jogged around to the front of the grandstand where he stood for 10 minutes, and then jogged a bit more alongside Perfect Drift, the 16-year-old retired racehorse who finished third behind War Emblem in the 2002 Kentucky Derby.

Trained by Simon Callaghan, Firing Line is scheduled to resume galloping May 8.

Gomez, who was part of trainer Doug O'Neill's team with I'll Have Another   for the 2012 Kentucky Derby, has been getting on Firing Line for a little more than a month.

"He was good this morning, a lot of energy and feeling good," Gomez said. "He has a lot of confidence in himself. He is so professional. He is the kind of horse that makes you look good.

"He stood on the front side for 10 minutes with horses jumping all around him and he didn't pay any attention to them. He has held his weight since the Derby and (assistant trainer) Carlos (Santamaria) says he is eating good."

The top three from the Derby are expected to meet again in the May 16 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico Race Course.

John Oxley's Danzig Moon, fifth-place finisher in the Derby, galloped a mile May 7 under William Cano. Norman Casse, assistant to his father, trainer Mark Casse, said: "No decision (has been made on the Preakness). It hasn't been talked about."

Meanwhile, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Zayat Stables' Mr. Z, who finished 13th in the Derby, is "probable" for the Preakness.

"Mr. (Ahmed) Zayat is going to evaluate the field and the quality of it, but I would say we are probable," said Lukas, a six-time winner of the Preakness. "The horse is doing really well. He came out of the race beautifully and we will read him throughout the week."

Mr. Z galloped May 7 with regular exercise rider Edvin Vargas aboard.

Trainer Dallas Stewart said he is thinking about a Preakness bid for Charles Fipke's homebred Tale of Verve, who was entered in the Kentucky Derby but did not draw into the race from the also-eligible list.

Tale of Verve broke his maiden going 1 3/16 miles in his most recent start at Keeneland April 23.



"He had a perfect setup for the Derby (with the win at Keeneland)," Stewart said. "What a coup that would have been. We wanted to run. I thought he would have run well. He had been training well here with two five-eighths works in :59 and change before that."

Tale of Verve worked five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 at Churchill May 4 and is slated for another breeze May 10-11.

"He is a come-from-behind horse; a big good-looking horse like (Stewart-trained 2014 Derby runner-up) Commanding Curve," Stewart said. "I think the Belmont may be better for him but he needs to run before then. He may run in the Preakness. I'll talk it over with the owner."

Stewart also said that Lemon Drop Title, a maiden winner at Churchill opening week of the spring meet, is under consideration for the $100,000 Sir Barton at 1 1/16 miles May 16 at Pimlico.