Wednesday Warm Up at Pimlico

Be it for fatigue, poor performances, or an aversion to the two-week turnaround, the Preakness Stakes (G1) usually faces a formidable foe in attrition.

While the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) can attract 19 or 20 starters without trouble, no more than a handful of those runners generally move on to Pimlico Race Course to compete in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

This year's crop of starters for the May 18 Preakness is no exception to the rule with four Kentucky Derby starters among the likely field of 13 that will be drawn at approximately 5 p.m. May 15 in Baltimore.

Included in that foursome are Improbable and Gary Barber's War of Will, who are expected to be the top two choices in the wagering, and Mark Casse, who trains War of Will, says he was fortunate to have a horse who recovered quickly from sore feet caused by the grind of the 1 1/4-mile Run of the Roses and came away from a bumping incident with the disqualified winner Maximum Security with little more than superficial cuts.

 "It's a tough grind under normal circumstances," Casse said. "A lot have fallen by the wayside and we've been lucky given the circumstances. He's a tough horse. We're extremely fortunate that nothing happened (in the Kentucky Derby) because it would have been the biggest disaster in horse racing history. So for that, I feel we didn't get a fair shot. But I'm OK with that because we have our horse and there's horse racing."

After watching War of Will gallop around Pimlico Wednesday morning, Casse said he was pleased with the son of War Front 's conditioning.

"Right now it's about being happy. It's not about any level of fitness. We're just letting him get over the track and regain some of his energy that was used in the Derby. He looked good today. He's relaxing more here than he did in Kentucky," Casse said. "Anyone who knows anything about horses and watches this horse train would see his energy level is very good and that's what we're looking for. I said all along if I didn't see that he wouldn't run and unless something changes in the next few days. We're going to be extremely tough."

Casse's main concern is finding a lucky horseshoe for the post position draw after landing the rail in the Kentucky Derby.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't expect a big performance. I just hope the post position gods give us a little better chance. The one hole hurt us as much as anything because we had to come away from there so we didn't get squeezed out. (Jockey Tyler Gaffalione) got him rolling and he didn't want to shut off."

War of Will, bred by Flaxman Holdings out of the Sadler's Wells mare Visions of Clarity (IRE), moved up from eighth to seventh in the Kentucky Derby while finishing 4 1/2 lengths behind the disqualified winner. A winner of three of nine starts, two of those victories came in the Risen Star Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) and Lecomte Stakes (G3), both at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

While War of Will spent a second morning at the track, Market King logged his first trip around the track for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

"I thought the track was a little more glib than it had been," Lukas said. "Usually you come in here and it has a little bit of looseness and deepness to it, but I thought it was firmer and I like that. It could change between now and Saturday but I thought the horse and the track complemented each other."

Owned by Robert C. Baker and William L. Mack, Market King owns only a maiden win Feb. 9 at Oaklawn Park. He was third in the second division of the Rebel Stakes (G2) but was then 11th, beaten by 37 1/4 lengths, in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) in his last start.

Pointing to six weeks of rest and some sharp recent works, Lukas expects a much-improved effort from the son of Into Mischief  on Saturday.

"He's had two good works at Churchill Downs since his last start," said Lukas, who owns six Preakness wins. "Looking at how it shook out in the Derby, having a fresh horse might be a good idea."

Market King, out of the A.P. Indy mare Divine Presence, was bred in Kentucky, also by Flaxman Holdings. He was a $550,000 purchase from the Lane's End consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Top Racing, Global Thoroughbreds and GDS Racing Stable's Bodexpress, the lone maiden in the field, took to the track after the renovation break. The leg-stretcher was observed by trainer Gustavo Delgato and his son, Gustavo Delgato Jr.

Bodexpress, by Bodemeister--Pied a Terre, by City Zip, was 14th (elevated to 13th) in the Derby after having to take up on the turn. Prior to that he was second, beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Maximum Security in the Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1).

"We have confidence in him from the way he ran in the Florida Derby, and the way Code of Honor ran in the Derby. Code of Honor was behind us in the Florida Derby, 3 1/4 lengths, and he ran third in the Derby (elevated to second)," said Gustavo Delgado Jr.

"He's acted like a million bucks today. He's full of energy. Hopefully he'll go back to the track tomorrow," he said.

In a rider switch, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will replace Chris Landeros in the Preakness.

"Johnny V is a plus. We have good relationship with Johnny and (agent) Angel Cordero Jr.," Delgado Jr. said. "It was Johnny who asked us, 'who's riding your horse? When you have someone like that call, then you have a shot."

The senior Delgato is also confident in the horse and likened the surface at Pimlico to the one at Gulfstream Park.

Six maidens have won the Preakness, but none since Refund in 1888.

"But you don't know...so far this Triple Crown has been crazy," Delgado said.

Delgato won the Triple Crown three times in his native Venezuela and is a three-time winner of the Clasico Internacional del Caribe.

Bred in Kentucky by Martha Jane Mulholland, Bodexpress was a RNA at both the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale.

Wednesday's arrivals are expected to include WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International and Starlight Racing's Improbable. Trained by seven-time Preakness winner Bob Baffert, Improbable was the 9-2 favorite in the Kentucky Derby and was moved up from fifth to fourth after the disqualification.

Also scheduled to ship into Pimlico today are Bourbon War, Laughing Fox, Owendale, and Warrior's Charge.

Alwaysmining and Win Win Win will join the mix at Pimlico May 16.

Evan Hammonds contributed to this article.