Preakness Favorite Improbable Takes to Track at Pimlico

With a noon deadline set for all Preakness Stakes (G1) starters to arrive on the Pimlico Race Course grounds, all but two horses had settled into the stakes barn at the Maryland track on the morning of May 16. Despite a few rain showers early, the main track was fast and dry for classic contenders who took the opportunity to stretch their legs.

Just after 8:30 a.m. during the last set of the day, Improbable made his way to the track from the stakes barn under the supervision of assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes. Trainer Bob Baffert, a seven-time winner of the Preakness, was scheduled to arrive later in the day. Improbable was made the 5-2 morning-line favorite May 15 during the post position draw. He'll break from post 4 and partner with Hall of Famer Mike Smith. 

Improbable "looked happy and just floated over the track" according to Elliott Walden, president and CEO of WinStar Farm, which co-owns the son City Zip with China Horse Club and Starlight Racing.

"He's full of energy, which is what you want to see in a horse coming out of that tough race last time," Walden said.

Bred by Ian Banwell's St. George Farm and G. Watts Humphrey Jr. out of the A.P. Indy mare Rare Event, Improbable finished fifth in the May 4 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs and was elevated to fourth following the disqualification of Maximum Security.

Walden, a former trainer who twice ran second in the Preakness with Victory Gallop in 1998 and Menifee in 1999, said Improbable would school at Pimlico during today's first race.

Others out during the last set were Gary Barber's War of Will and Top Racing, Global Thoroughbreds, and GDS Racing Stable's Bodexpress.

Earlier in the morning, Bourbon Lane Stable and Greg Burns' Lake Star Stable's Bourbon War got his first look at Pimlico's main track and turned a few heads. The son of Tapit  hasn't started since a fourth-place finish in the March 30 Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

"I thought he had a great morning," said trainer Mark Hennig. "We caught a little bit of rain, but he looked super to me. He got over the track well. The rider said he was really relaxed. I was happy. I trained three of them over the main track this morning, and I thought the track was really nice. I liked the way they traveled."

Bourbon War was second, beaten three-quarters of a length by Code of Honor, in Gulfstream's March 2 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).

Trainer Brad Cox has a pair of runners for the Preakness in Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables' Warrior's Charge and Rupp Racing's Owendale. Cox—who trains last year's champion 3-year-old filly, Monomoy Girl—is seeking his first classic score.

"Warrior's Charge is a stout horse," Cox said. "I kind of questioned how far he wants to go early on, but he has speed and can carry it two turns. We have to get another eighth of a mile out of him, though."

By Munnings , out of the Broken Vow  mare Battling Brook, Warrior's Charge's past two starts came at 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park, both wins going gate to wire. He broke his maiden March 16, then crushed an optional-claiming allowance field by 6 1/2 lengths April 12. Supplemented to the Preakness, he'll break from post 3 Saturday.

Owendale was eighth in the Feb. 16 Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, then got a little time off and came back to win Keeneland's Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) April 13 by 1 3/4 lengths over fellow Preakness starter Anothertwistafate. He's by Into Mischief  out of the Bernardini  mare Aspen Light.

Owendale is a "big, tall, leggy horse. I've seen a lot of the other Preakness horses here this morning, and he looks to be as big, if not bigger, then all of them," Cox said. "There's a lot of him."

"Both horses went out early, and both horses got over the track well," Cox said. "We're just galloping, not doing any speed work, and they both got over the track just fine."

Anothertwistafate and Market King were out on the track at 6 a.m. and were followed by Laughing Fox and Signalman, who were out well before the renovation break.

Later in the morning, Live Oak Plantation's Win Win Win for trainer Mike Trombetta and Runnymede Racing's Alwaysmining for trainer Kelly Rubley both vanned in from Fair Hill Training Center.

Trombetta, who saddled Sweetnorthernsaint to a runner-up finish in the 2006 Preakness, brings Win Win Win back after the son of Hat Trick crossed the finish line 10th in the Kentucky Derby. Local hero Alwaysmining, a son of Stay Thirsty , rides in on a six-race win streak, five of them in stakes, all at Laurel Park.