Kentucky Derby winner Orb made a spirited walk along the row of racetrack barns at Pimlico on Tuesday ahead of Saturday’s 138th Preakness, the second leg in American racing’s Triple Crown series.
Orb’s trainer Shug McGaughey brought the horse from New York’s Belmont Park to Baltimore on Monday ahead of the 1 3/16ths-mile showdown, the shortest race in the treble that began with his May 4 Derby victory at Churchill Downs.
So far, McGaughey likes what he sees from Orb as the horse tries to become the first to sweep the Triple Crown races since Affirmed in 1978, a feat that requires a Preakness victory and a Belmont Stakes triumph on June 8.
“He had a lot of energy. I walked him a few turns and had to give him up,” McGaughey said. “So far, so good. He had a good night and a nice morning. Everything is good.”
McGaughey last trained a Preakness horse in 1989 when his Easy Goer lost by a nose to Sunday Silence.
“As soon as I got here, it all came back to me — where I needed to be, where I was going,” he said. “I feel like I’m back on familiar ground and I’m tickled to death to be here.”
Governor Charlie, trained by five-time Preakness winner Bob Baffert, finished a solid Monday workout at Churchill Downs ready to race on Saturday.
“He came out of his work really, really well,” Baffert said. “We are prepared to go.”
Baffert won at Pimlico with Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), Point Given (2001), War Emblem (2002) and Lookin At Lucky (2010) but settled for second last year with Bodemeister.
D. Wayne Lukas, also a trainer of five Preakness winners, has three hopefuls in the projected field in Oxbow, Will Take Charge and Titletown Five.
He won the Preakness with Codex (1980), Tank’s Prospect (1985), Tabasco Cat (1994), Timber Country (1995) and Charismatic (1999).
