Conquest Mo Money, Term of Art Headed to Preakness
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Photo: Coady Photography
Conquest Mo Money, second in the Sunland Park Derby and Arkansas Derby, wins the Mine That Bird Derby
Judge Lanier Racing's Preakness Stakes (G1) candidate Conquest Mo Money is scheduled to arrive at Pimlico Race Course May 14.
Owner Tom McKenna said the New York-bred colt will be shipped by van from Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, to Maryland. He said the trip will likely take two days, with an overnight stop at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The son of Uncle Mo is trained by Miguel Hernandez. His regular rider, Jorge Carreno, will spend the week at Pimlico and be aboard for the Preakness.
Although Conquest Mo Money earned enough points to start in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) with second-place runs in the Sunland Derby (G3) and Arkansas Derby (G1), McKenna opted not to run him in a 20-horse field. The colt was not nominated to the Triple Crown series, but McKenna has paid $150,000 to supplement him to the Preakness.
Conquest Mo Money—purchased for $8,500 from the Conquest Stables dispersal in November—will be the first Triple Crown series starter for McKenna and his wife Sandy. They are the leading owners in New Mexico.
"It's a dream come true. I never thought I would be here," McKenna said. "Everybody dreams about it that gets in the horse business, whether you have one horse, two horses, or three horses."
Trainer Doug O'Neill has also notified Pimlico officials of his intention to run Term of Art in the Preakness. The Calumet Farm-owned son of Tiznow , who is winless in four starts this year, concluded his 2-year-old season with a win in the off-the-turf Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3) at Del Mar.
SHEA: Term of Art Rallies to Win Cecil B. DeMille
"We think he's a talented colt who deserves a chance in this big race," O'Neill said. "We think he has classic-type ability and we're going to roll the dice."
Jose Ortiz will ride Term of Art in the Preakness.
O'Neill, who captured the Preakness with Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another in 2012, saddled Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist for a distant third-place finish as the 3-5 favorite last year. O'Neill's other Preakness starter, Goldencents , finished fifth in 2013.