Local winner Icabad Crane and Holy Bull Stakes champ Hey Byrn have been added to the probable field for the middle jewel of racing's Triple Crown. As many as 12 to 14 three-year-olds may enter the starting gate on Saturday, May 17.
Icabad Crane captured the $150,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday, April 19. Owned by Earle Mack and trained by Graham Motion, the colt has won three of four career starts for $125,400. Jeremy Rose, who has the mount on Icabad Crane, won the Preakness three years ago on Afleet Alex in the one of the most dramatic stretch runs in recent memory.
Also headed to Pimlico will be Hey Byrn. The colt won the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles.
"The decision to run in the Preakness was made by his owner Mrs. (Beatrice) Oxenberg," said trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. "She has family up in Baltimore and there's no reason why we shouldn't come. She said she wants to come and taste the crab cakes. We were going to run in the Derby but we didn't get in."
Hey Byrn has earned $266,000 with four wins in eight lifetime starts. He began the year with two allowance wins and was then a distant fourth to Big Brown in the Florida Derby.
Confirmed starters for the $1 million classic also includes Behindatthebar, Big Brown, Giant Moon, Kentucky Bear, Racecar Rhapsody, Recapturetheglory, Riley Tucker, Stevil, Tres Borrachos and Yankee Bravo. A decision on Harlem Rocker is expected over the weekend and Macho Again is now headed to the Ohio Derby.
Sloppy going at Churchill Downs in Louisville kept Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown to just a one-mile jog.
Racecar Rhapsody galloped 1 1/2 miles before the renovation break under Jose Castanon at Churchill. Stevil also galloped 1 1/2 miles in Louisville and Illinois Derby winner Recapturetheglory jogged around the Churchill Downs' main track to the starting gate at the head of the stretch and then galloped a little bit more than 1 1/4 miles while well off the rail under assistant trainer Lara Van Deren.
Tres Borrachos jogged a mile before the renovation break under Andy Durnin Friday morning at Churchill Downs.
