Cherry Wine Steady in Preakness Work

By Alicia Wincze-Hughes

Graded stakes-placed Cherry Wine turned in a typically steadfast move in preparation for his expected start in the May 21 Preakness Stakes (gr. I), working five furlongs May 14 in a handy 1:01 3/5 at Churchill Downs.

With co-owner and co-breeder Frank Jones Jr. on hand to witness the move, Cherry Wine broke off solo under exercise rider Faustino Aguila and registered splits of :24 4/5, :37 1/5, and :49 1/5, galloping out to six furlongs in 1:14 1/5 and to seven furlongs in 1:27 4/5. The son of Paddy O'Prado went about his business with minimal urging, which is exactly what trainer Dale Romans has come to expect.

"It looked like the same work he always puts in," said Romans, who was still moving gingerly after suffering pulled rib muscles in a May 7 car accident that sent four of his passengers to the hospital. "He's pretty much a steady horse, and everything he does is steady. I was pleased with him. He's moving good, he's sound, he's happy."

Romans is also realistic when it comes to forecasting Cherry Wine's Preakness hopes. While the colt flashed classic potential when he finished third to stablemate Brody's Cause in the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland April 9, Romans acknowledged it is going to take more than just the best race of Cherry Wine's life if he hopes to upset unbeaten Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner, Nyquist.

"The only way we beat the champion is if the two weeks takes its toll on him, and we know that. But you have to be there in case it does," said Romans, who saddled Shackleford   to win the 2011 Preakness. "If everyone runs true to form, nobody beats him. But, especially if it comes up a little wet or something, my horse loves an off track. And if Nyquist has trouble with the two weeks and we're coming in fresh, a lot of things can happen. We know we have to have some breaks and some things fall our way before we can outrun him."

Bred and owned by Jones, Pacella Racing, and Frank Shoop and out of the Unbridled's Song mare C. S. Royce,  Cherry Wine has won two of his eight starts with earnings of $218,878. Though it took him five tries to break his maiden—finally getting over the hump with a 9 1/4-length victory at Churchill Nov. 28—he opened eyes when he made a last-to-first rally to score a six-length win in his seasonal bow Jan. 9 at Gulfstream Park. 

"I thought he always had the mind for this, he just couldn't put it all together," said Romans, who will give a leg up to jockey Corey Lanerie aboard the gray colt on Preakness day. "He's such an efficient mover that I've always liked him. When he won by open lengths here at Churchill and then he went down and won by open lengths at Gulfstream, you have to be talented to do those things."

In addition to sending Cherry Wine to the Preakness, Romans added he is planning to run back Go Maggie Go, fourth in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), in the May 20 Black-Eyed Susan (gr. II) at Pimlico Race Course.

Romans briefly toyed with sending multiple grade I-winner Brody's Cause to the Preakness as well after the son of Giant's Causeway bounced out of his seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby in good order. But instead of pushing the bay colt to make the quick turnaround, Romans opted to have Brody's Cause rest up for the June 11 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) in case there is a Triple Crown bid to spoil.

"We think he can get the distance and if Nyquist were to win again (in the Preakness), then he's going to be up against it with all these races in a row," Romans said. "(Brody's Cause) finished up fairly well in the Derby. If you're seventh out of 30,000 (foals) that are born—if you're the seventh best—it's hard to be discouraged."