Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming will arrive at Pimlico Race Course on Tuesday morning to get an early start on preparations for the May 20 Preakness.
It's a strategic move for trainer Todd Pletcher, who endured several tense moments as he tried to settle Always Dreaming in the runup to the Derby.
The colt struggled to adjust to Churchill Downs when he arrived, showing far more aggressiveness than Pletcher wanted during his morning gallops. The trainer responded by changing exercise riders and putting Always Dreaming in draw reins, which anchor to the girth (the piece of equipment that keeps the saddle in place) and give the jockey more leverage to check the horse's momentum.
Pletcher said Always Dreaming was less hyper when shipped to unfamiliar tracks in the past. But it's striking that he's giving the Derby champion almost two weeks to adjust to Pimlico. He said he'll likely keep the draw reins on as well.
"He was so headstrong when he got here that I don't think staying here for another week is going to be an advantage," Pletcher said Sunday morning. "I don't think going to Belmont for a week and then moving again is an advantage. So just looking at what the options are, I think Pimlico, there aren't usually a lot of horses training there, and it'll be a quiet environment. It'll give us time to settle in and if we need to, make any adjustments."
Pletcher is winless in eight attempts at the Preakness and is actually known for skipping the race to rest his horses for the Belmont Stakes. His previous Derby winner, Super Saver, finished a disappointing eighth at Pimlico in 2010.
But he said he's looking forward to putting Always Dreaming in Stall 40 at Pimlico, the corner spot traditionally reserved for the Derby winner.
"I think we want to follow the tradition," he said. "That stall's been successful plenty of times. And Pimlico is usually great. They're very accommodating."
Pletcher was back to his reserved self Sunday morning after displaying unusually vivid emotions in the moments after Always Dreaming's victory. He acknowledged that a second Derby victory meant a great deal to him given all the criticism he'd faced for his low winning percentage in the race.
"It feels awesome," he said. "I think it's still sinking in. The first one's special but this one is just as good or even better. We felt coming in we had a good chance and we had some anxious moments during the week. But we were just happy to see him deliver the performance we felt he was capable of."
Pletcher deliberately kept Always Dreaming on a light schedule, aiming to arrive at the Derby with a fresh horse. He hopes that approach will continue to pay off in the Preakness and, if all goes well, the Belmont. He said Always Dreaming came out of the Derby with plenty of energy and a hearty appetite. The colt will gallop daily at Pimlico rather than squeeze in a harder, timed workout.
Pletcher's mentor, D. Wayne Lukas, stopped by Barn 40 at Churchill Downs to offer congratulations Sunday morning. Pletcher and Lukas share the career record for most Derby starters, though at age 49, Pletcher seems a sure bet to soar past that total.
Meanwhile, Always Dreaming's owners, childhood friends Vinnie Viola and Anthony Bonomo, reflected on their family connections to the sport.
Viola, especially, learned to handicap at his father's side during regular trips to Aqueduct Racetrack and Belmont Park. John Viola moved to the United States from Italy when he was 3 years old, went back as a soldier in the Army during World War II and finally settled into a long career as a truck driver and New York union advocate.
Vinnie Viola bought his first thoroughbreds in 1997, hoping to give his father some inspiration after he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The two of them had started going to the track again as a way of spending time together.
John Viola died in 1999, and his eldest son stayed away from the races for 12 years after that. He returned in 2011 and has rapidly built his St. Elias Stable, named after the missionary whose saint day was also his father's birthday.
Viola is best known as the Florida Panthers owner and the man who withdrew from consideration as President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of the Army because of potential conflicts with his private businesses.
But on Saturday, he said, he was just a kid, hearing his father's booming voice as he watched a magnificent horse run to the finish line.
"He always talked to the jockey," Viola said. "He would've been saying, 'Not now, Johnny! Not now!' "
Always Dreaming's connections will now set their sights on Baltimore, with the field for the 142nd Preakness already taking shape.
Derby runner-up Lookin At Lee is "definitely a possibility" to run, trainer Steve Asmussen said.
Classic Empire, the morning-line favorite and fourth-place finisher in the Derby, was bothered by a swollen right eye Sunday. But trainer Mark Casse said if the condition doesn't linger, he'll strongly consider a shot at the Preakness.
Seventh-place Derby finisher Gunnevera is a possibility for the race. Girvin, the 13th-place finisher in the Derby after a rough trip, has not been ruled out.
Trainer Graham Motion said Maryland-based Irish War Cry came out of his 10th-place finish in the Derby feeling well. But Motion is still leaning against running the son of Curlin in the Preakness, a race his father won in 2007.
Third-place Derby finisher Battle of Midway is unlikely to run at Pimlico. Eighth-place finisher McCraken suffered a cut to his left hind leg and will likely miss the remainder of the Triple Crown series, trainer Ian Wilkes said.
Royal Mo, who would have been the next horse into the Derby if anyone had scratched, will run in the Preakness with Gary Stevens aboard, trainer John Shirreffs said.
Conquest Mo Money, runner-up to Classic Empire in the Arkansas Derby, is also a strong possibility for the Preakness.
Illinois Derby champion Multiplier and Lexington Stakes champion Senior Investment are possibilities, as is Cloud Computing, the 3rd-place finisher in the Wood Memorial.
Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien is considering two horses, including Lancaster Bomber.
And Pletcher said he hasn't ruled out Malagacy, whom he opted not to run in the Derby.
