Crowded Trade, in the money all three career starts but with just a maiden win, must “step up” to factor in the Preakness, his trainer says.
Two-year-old champion Essential Quality, a close-up fourth in the Kentucky Derby, will bypass the Preakness, as will Lexington winner King Fury.
Concert Tour, who skipped the Kentucky Derby after finishing third in the Arkansas Derby, will make his next start in the Preakness.
Rombauer, the show horse in the Blue Grass Stakes after winning the El Camino Real Derby, is Preakness-bound, his trainer said.
Favored The Reds couldn’t quite get past Excellorator in Saturday’s Federico Tesio Stakes but was put up via DQ after the latter impeded him.
Brooklyn Strong, winner of the Grade 2 Remsen and fifth in the Wood Memorial, will skip tomorrow’s Tesio to train up to the Preakness.
King Fury likely will end up on the wrong side of the Kentucky Derby points cutoff; if so, it’ll be on to the Preakness, said trainer Ken McPeek.
The Chad Brown-trained Crowded Trade, third in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, is being pointed to the Preakness, the trainer said.
Brooklyn Strong, fifth in the Wood Memorial in his first start in almost five months, may try the Tesio next as a prep for the Preakness, his trainer said.
The Preakness, slated for its traditional third Saturday in May timelsot, will take place in front of a socially distanced crowd limlted to 10,000.