Barbaro Breezes a Quarter of a Mile at Fair Hill; Brother Derek Gallops Over the Pimlico Surface
BARBARO – Trainer Michael Matz sent his Kentucky Derby winner to the dirt track at Fair Hill Training Center Thursday Morning for a little tune-up for Saturday’s 131st running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.
“He blew out a quarter-mile,” said Matz, who didn’t report a clocking of Barbaro’s brief breeze that followed a mile gallop under exercise rider and assistant trainer Peter Brette.
Matz, who was not present at Thursday’s traditional Alibi Breakfast at Pimlico, plans to board Barbaro onto a van bound for Pimlico Race Course at 1 p.m. Friday.
BROTHER DEREK – After his colt toured the track at Pimlico for the first time Thursday morning, trainer Dan Hendricks said he would like to see a Triple Crown sweep some day, but not this year. “I think it would be great and I think we need to have one soon,” he said. “That’s what makes it so great, that it has taken nearly 30 years to have another one. But I’m in here to win the race and I want to win the Preakness more than anyone.”
Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby in convincing fashion on May 6 and a victory in the Preakness on Saturday would make him the 32nd horse going to the Belmont Stakes with a chance to snag American racing’s greatest prize.
“I hate to see him not win it this year because I think he is a deserving horse to win it, but we’re out to win,” Hendricks said. “That’s all there is to it.”
Hendricks noted that facing fresh horses in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes makes the road to a Triple Crown title so difficult to negotiate.
“That’s what makes it special,” he said. “You’ve got to knock off all the newcomers, everybody. The next guy that wins it, that’s going to make it extra-special.”
During his press conference at 8:30 a.m. on a temporary stage next to the Pimlico Stakes Barn, Hendricks made it clear he has respect for Barbaro.
“I’m hoping I’m good enough to beat him,” Hendricks said. “(Barbaro’s) done nothing wrong. He’s proven himself out to be the top 3-year-old right now. I just hope I can step up and beat him now. If I can, I’m right on top again. That’s all I can hope.”
Brother Derek drew post No. 18 in the Kentucky Derby, had a wide trip and finished in a dead-heat for fourth with Jazil. Hendricks said the Derby is a race to draw a line through on Brother Derek’s past performance chart. “We have to just throw that out and go on because it’s history now,” he said. “We’re just going to try to go out there and beat him. I think we’re as good a horse and, hopefully, we’re a better horse. But right now, he’s No. 1, and we’re trying to knock him off the top.”
Hendricks liked the way Brother Derek looked Thursday. The colt was shipped from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. to Pimlico Wednesday. He showed a lot of energy as he galloped around the Pimlico oval just before 8 a.m. Thursday.
“He bounced out of the Derby fine. We came in with a fresh horse, and it seems to be working,” Hendricks said. “He’s full of himself this morning, bouncing around real good. He handled the track and everything went real well.”
Hendricks said Brother Derek never has trouble adapting to unfamiliar tracks.
“Francisco Alvarado galloped him and said he just handled it fine, like he has every other track he’s been on,” Hendricks said. “Track surface, I can’t use that as an excuse. So tell me if I do after the race. It’s not an excuse for this horse.”
Hendricks said he really hasn’t had much time to get to know Barbaro’s trainer, Michael Matz, who is based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to him enough,” Hendricks said. “I might go out to Fair Hill with him. He invited me out. I’m just not sure I want to see that nice a training facility and have to go home to Santa Anita. No offense to Santa Anita, but they have so many advantages. “No, I haven’t been able to talk to him enough, just a few times. Last night (Wednesday night at the post position draw) was the first time I got to congratulate him because he was so busy after the Derby.”
Hendricks smiled when he said that if he did visit Fair Hill it would be before the Preakness is run.
“We might not want to talk to each other after,” he said.
Hendricks said he isn’t concerned with having to bring Brother Derek back to the races only two weeks after the Derby.
“No, like Michael Matz has done, we’ve got fresh horses,” he said. “I watched his horse after the Derby, that night and the next day. Just like my horse, they took it in without a problem at all.
“We’ve got fit horses that should be able to take that. You can’t do that two or three times in a row, but we could run back in a week if they let us run the Derby again.”
Hendricks said he has enjoyed his first trip down the Triple Crown trail. “It’s been great. We’ve had a lot of fun with it,” he said. “I’m lucky enough to have Cecil Peacock as an owner, because he makes you enjoy everything. When I had the bad post draw for the Derby, as soon as I called him, he put my mind at ease. He laughed about it and said he thought he was going to get another post. With that attitude from my owner, we’re just having fun with this.
“The family is enjoying it. I’m going to try to bring one of my kids in; I can’t bring all three this time. It’s just been a lot of fun. We’re all enjoying it at home, too. The whole barn has been a part of it, and all my other owners. We had 35 seats at the Derby and I’ve got 25 here at the Preakness. Those are my owners and friends. They’re all coming in and having fun with it.”
And Hendricks said he is happy to be able to bring the important people in his life along for the ride.
“It’s real important because it’s a team. When my barn runs and I win a race, I get calls from five other owners. They all enjoy it and they’re having fun with this. You should. If you don’t enjoy this, I don’t know what there is.”
Source: www.preakness.com
“He blew out a quarter-mile,” said Matz, who didn’t report a clocking of Barbaro’s brief breeze that followed a mile gallop under exercise rider and assistant trainer Peter Brette.
Matz, who was not present at Thursday’s traditional Alibi Breakfast at Pimlico, plans to board Barbaro onto a van bound for Pimlico Race Course at 1 p.m. Friday.
BROTHER DEREK – After his colt toured the track at Pimlico for the first time Thursday morning, trainer Dan Hendricks said he would like to see a Triple Crown sweep some day, but not this year. “I think it would be great and I think we need to have one soon,” he said. “That’s what makes it so great, that it has taken nearly 30 years to have another one. But I’m in here to win the race and I want to win the Preakness more than anyone.”
Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby in convincing fashion on May 6 and a victory in the Preakness on Saturday would make him the 32nd horse going to the Belmont Stakes with a chance to snag American racing’s greatest prize.
“I hate to see him not win it this year because I think he is a deserving horse to win it, but we’re out to win,” Hendricks said. “That’s all there is to it.”
Hendricks noted that facing fresh horses in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes makes the road to a Triple Crown title so difficult to negotiate.
“That’s what makes it special,” he said. “You’ve got to knock off all the newcomers, everybody. The next guy that wins it, that’s going to make it extra-special.”
During his press conference at 8:30 a.m. on a temporary stage next to the Pimlico Stakes Barn, Hendricks made it clear he has respect for Barbaro.
“I’m hoping I’m good enough to beat him,” Hendricks said. “(Barbaro’s) done nothing wrong. He’s proven himself out to be the top 3-year-old right now. I just hope I can step up and beat him now. If I can, I’m right on top again. That’s all I can hope.”
Brother Derek drew post No. 18 in the Kentucky Derby, had a wide trip and finished in a dead-heat for fourth with Jazil. Hendricks said the Derby is a race to draw a line through on Brother Derek’s past performance chart. “We have to just throw that out and go on because it’s history now,” he said. “We’re just going to try to go out there and beat him. I think we’re as good a horse and, hopefully, we’re a better horse. But right now, he’s No. 1, and we’re trying to knock him off the top.”
Hendricks liked the way Brother Derek looked Thursday. The colt was shipped from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. to Pimlico Wednesday. He showed a lot of energy as he galloped around the Pimlico oval just before 8 a.m. Thursday.
“He bounced out of the Derby fine. We came in with a fresh horse, and it seems to be working,” Hendricks said. “He’s full of himself this morning, bouncing around real good. He handled the track and everything went real well.”
Hendricks said Brother Derek never has trouble adapting to unfamiliar tracks.
“Francisco Alvarado galloped him and said he just handled it fine, like he has every other track he’s been on,” Hendricks said. “Track surface, I can’t use that as an excuse. So tell me if I do after the race. It’s not an excuse for this horse.”
Hendricks said he really hasn’t had much time to get to know Barbaro’s trainer, Michael Matz, who is based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to him enough,” Hendricks said. “I might go out to Fair Hill with him. He invited me out. I’m just not sure I want to see that nice a training facility and have to go home to Santa Anita. No offense to Santa Anita, but they have so many advantages. “No, I haven’t been able to talk to him enough, just a few times. Last night (Wednesday night at the post position draw) was the first time I got to congratulate him because he was so busy after the Derby.”
Hendricks smiled when he said that if he did visit Fair Hill it would be before the Preakness is run.
“We might not want to talk to each other after,” he said.
Hendricks said he isn’t concerned with having to bring Brother Derek back to the races only two weeks after the Derby.
“No, like Michael Matz has done, we’ve got fresh horses,” he said. “I watched his horse after the Derby, that night and the next day. Just like my horse, they took it in without a problem at all.
“We’ve got fit horses that should be able to take that. You can’t do that two or three times in a row, but we could run back in a week if they let us run the Derby again.”
Hendricks said he has enjoyed his first trip down the Triple Crown trail. “It’s been great. We’ve had a lot of fun with it,” he said. “I’m lucky enough to have Cecil Peacock as an owner, because he makes you enjoy everything. When I had the bad post draw for the Derby, as soon as I called him, he put my mind at ease. He laughed about it and said he thought he was going to get another post. With that attitude from my owner, we’re just having fun with this.
“The family is enjoying it. I’m going to try to bring one of my kids in; I can’t bring all three this time. It’s just been a lot of fun. We’re all enjoying it at home, too. The whole barn has been a part of it, and all my other owners. We had 35 seats at the Derby and I’ve got 25 here at the Preakness. Those are my owners and friends. They’re all coming in and having fun with it.”
And Hendricks said he is happy to be able to bring the important people in his life along for the ride.
“It’s real important because it’s a team. When my barn runs and I win a race, I get calls from five other owners. They all enjoy it and they’re having fun with this. You should. If you don’t enjoy this, I don’t know what there is.”
Source: www.preakness.com
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