LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 8 (UPI) -- At least four Kentucky Derby contestants are headed for Baltimore and a try in the May 21 Preakness Stakes -- the second jewel of horse racing's Triple Crown.
Derby winner Animal Kingdom is on his way, trainer Graham Motion said Sunday morning. And the trainers of Mucho Macho Man (third in the Derby), Shackleford (fourth) and Dialed In (eighth) also are planning for Pimlico. Nehro, who finished second, is a maybe.
Pimlico officials said the Preakness field also may contain as many as nine so-called "new shooters," or horses who did not start in the Derby. Among them is the promising but slow-developing Astrology -- a stablemate of Nehro under the tutelage of Steve Asmussen.
Two of the 19 Derby starters face surgery coming out of the race. Archarcharch suffered a condylar of his left front leg and was to have surgery Sunday at Rood & Riddle Equine Clinic. It's not certain whether he will be able to resume racing. And Comma to the Top, who pressed the pace most of the way before facing to finish last, was found to have a bone chip in his left front ankle. Trainer Peter Miller said the colt will be off for eight to 10 weeks but he hopes to have him back in training to make either the Turf Mile or the Dirt Mile at this fall's Breeders' Cup.
Saturday's attendance of 164,858 broke the record of 163,628 established in 1974 -- the 100th running of the classic race.
The race, run on the eve of Mother's Day, left female trainers and jockeys still awaiting their first Kentucky Derby winner. Twenty-three-year-old rider Rosie Napravnik kept her mount, Pants On Fire, close to the pace but he faded to finish ninth and was found to have bled significantly. Two female trainers sent out horses for the 137th Run for the Roses with Katherine Ritvo doing best as her Mucho Macho Man got home a game third. Kathleen O'Connell's starter, Watch Me Go, beat only one horse.
