Barbaro enjoying familiar surroundings during Preakness preparations

Lael Stables's homebred Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Barbaro continued preparing for the $1-million Preakness Stakes (G1) by stretching his legs on Tuesday at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Maryland, where Michael Matz trains the bulk of his 60-horse stable. Fair Hill is closer to Delaware Park than it is to Pimlico Race Course, but of all the horses shipping from Fair Hill to race this week none will be as scrutinized as Barbaro. His tranquil surroundings include a round pen, a wood chip all-weather track, and for the last few days, anyway, a horde of media.
"He can relax here and recuperate," Matz said of his decision not to ship Barbaro to Pimlico until Friday. "He's getting all the rest he'll need. Why ship to the track when he can stay at a place like this? It'd be ridiculous. We'll ship Friday afternoon, let him go around [Pimlico] once Saturday morning, and run Saturday afternoon."
Pimlico officials told Matz that Barbaro needed to be at the track by 6 a.m. EDT on Saturday, so rather than take a chance and not make it in time by shipping the day of the race, Matz opted to ship Friday.
Matz decided after Barbaro's 6 1/2-length Derby victory on May 6 that he would not work the colt before the Preakness, but he has sent Barbaro to the track for at least a jog each day since May 10. On Tuesday, Barbaro jogged six furlongs and galloped another 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider and assistant trainer Peter Brette.
"He feels great," Brette said after dismounting. "He came out of the race tremendous, and he's moving forward. We're looking forward to Saturday."
After the Derby, Barbaro returned to Matz's Fair Hill barn on May 8. He had not been stabled there since November when Matz moved his operation to Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida for the winter. Matz said that the Dynaformer colt likes his surroundings, but the trainer himself still has not completely gotten used to the Triple Crown media crush.
"There's more media than for the Olympics," said Matz, a silver medal equestrian at the 1996 Olympic games. "The media analyzes too much instead of just making this a horse race."
Following Barbaro's Kentucky Derby victory on five weeks rest, Matz ribbed the media for questioning the move. Now the question du jour is whether Barbaro can handle just two weeks between the Derby and Preakness.
"We're right where we want to be," Brette said. "He's eating well and only getting stronger. He's training superbly, and he always runs like he trains, so we're confident."
Barbaro has won all six of his starts and has earned $2,302,200.
Source: www.thoroughbredtimes.com