War of Will Kicks Off Preakness Activity at Pimlico

With the aftermath of the May 4 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) still dominating the headlines, Preakness Week at Pimlico Race Course kicked off on a rather quiet note.

Gary Barber's War of Will, the lone probable for the May 18 Preakness Stakes (G1) on the grounds during the morning hours of May 14, had a leisurely clockwise walk around a wet, muddy surface under exercise rider Kim Carroll.

"He was great," said Carroll, who is overseeing Casse's three horses at Pimlico until the trainer arrives in Baltimore May 15. "He was excited to go out there. He was all business. He has a lot of class and knows what his job is. He loves what he does. The only thing he didn't love was that I didn't gallop him."

Omar Sanchez, the foreman of trainer Casse's Churchill Downs barn, was also on hand at Pimlico Tuesday morning and said the trip around the track was intended "to get his blood flowing" in preparation for Saturday's 1 3/16-mile second jewel in the Triple Crown.

War of Will, who arrived at Pimlico in the early morning hours Tuesday, was at the center of the controversial disqualification of Maximum Security from first to 17th in the 145th Kentucky Derby. The multiple graded-stakes winning son of War Front  bumped with Maximum Security in the stretch and their legs became entangled for a moment, which created contact that impacted Long Range Toddy, Bodexpress, and eventual winner County House to varying degrees.

War of Will, who was third, a length behind at the eighth pole, finished eighth but was elevated to seventh through the disqualification.

"(War of Will) had some superficial cuts between the track surface and what happened in the race," said Carroll, the wife of Casse's assistant trainer David Carroll. "Other than that, he's great. He's ready. He's going to show us what he's got."

Bred by Flaxman Holdings Limited in Kentucky, War of Will has won three of nine starts, with wins in the Feb. 16 Risen Star presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) and Jan. 19 Lecomte Stakes (G3), both at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. He then lost his action early in the March 23 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) and did not race again after that ninth-place finish until the Kentucky Derby

"Mark took it easy with him after the Louisiana Derby and now, after a good race in the Kentucky Derby, he wants to keep the momentum going," Sanchez said.

War of Will, a half brother to the group 1 winner Pathfork, was purchased by Justin Casse from Oak Tree Farm's consignment to the 2018 Arqana May 2-Year-Old Breeze Up Sale for $298,550. Out of the Sadler's Wells mare Visions of Clarity, he was an RNA for $175,000 from the Lane's End consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The Preakness contingent at Pimlico doubled later in the day when Robert C. Baker and William L. Mack's Market King arrived after a 10-hour and 15-minute drive from Louisville with trainer D. Wayne Lukas in the truck.

At the age of 83, Lukas will be saddling his 44th Preakness starter—extending his own record—and is hoping to match Bob Baffert and R.W. Walden with seven wins in the middle leg of the Triple Crown. Yet if anyone believes there are touchy-feely emotions attached to Lukas' appearance, the Hall of Fame trainer is having none of that.

"It doesn't mean a lot. Not anymore," he said. "I'm happy to be here and enjoy it more than anybody, but as far as getting sentimental about it, I've gotten past that. I probably never was sentimental about it. In 1980 (saddling first Preakness starter Codex), I sat on that bench wondering what all the hoopla was, and Codex won."

Market King, a son of Into Mischief , figures to be a bigger longshot than Lukas' last Preakness winner. That was Oxbow , who captured the 2013 edition at 15-1 odds.

Market King was third at odds of 48-1 in a division of the Rebel Stakes (G2) and finished 11th, beaten 37 1/4 lengths, as a 33-1 shot in his last start, the April 6 Toyota Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland. Since then, he has turned in two sharp five furlong works in 1:00 2/5 (May 11) and 1:00 1/5 (May 7) at Churchill Downs.

"I think he's really on his game but he needs to step forward," Lukas said.

Lukas admitted a key factor in his decision to enter Market King was the absence of the top three Kentucky Derby finishers. 

"Here's the rule," he said. "If there's one horse, always run. Two, look at it critically. And if there's three, maybe. And by that, I mean superstar horses."

Market King, out of the A.P. Indy mare Divine Presence, was bred in Kentucky by Flaxman Holdings. He was purchased from the Lane's End consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $550,000 by Baker and Mack, who have teamed with Lukas for more than 20 years.

Bodexpress, who was placed 13th in the Kentucky Derby, Signalman, and Anothertwistafate also arrived later in the day.

The bulk of the 12 probable starters will arrive May 15, with Bourbon War, Improbable—who was fourth in the Kentucky Derby for Baffert—Laughing Fox, Owendale, and Warrior's Charge among that group. 

Alwaysmining, a winner of his last six starts at Laurel Park, and Win Win Win, who was ninth in the Kentucky Derby, are expected to travel May 16 to Baltimore from Fair Hill Training Center.