Two leading contenders for the May 17 Preakness Stakes (G1), River Thames and Gosger, recorded breezes May 10 for the upcoming $2 million race at Pimlico Race Course, and another leading 3-year-old, Sandman, joined the prospective lineup.
The addition of Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Sandman to the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, means that at least one grade 1 winner will be competing in the 1 3/16-mile race and potentially two if the connections of Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Journalism decide to run their colt. A decision on the latter's participation is expected within the next couple of days before entries are drawn May 12.
Both Sandman and Journalism are coming off recent starts in the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs, with Sandman seventh and Journalism second. Also exiting the Derby is the D. Wayne Lukas-trained American Promise, who ran 16th.
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, is not racing in the Preakness and will await the third and final leg of the Triple Crown, the June 7 Belmont Stakes (G1), taking place this year at Saratoga Race Course for the second straight year due to ongoing reconstruction at Belmont Park.
Sandman had been expected to race next in the Belmont Stakes before connections opted to run him on two weeks of rest in the Preakness. His trainer, Mark Casse, won the 2019 Preakness Stakes with War of Will after he had been a troubled seventh in the Derby.
"We wanted to see how he came back. He's an extremely happy horse right now," Casse said. "It looks like the race might set up nice for him. It looks like there's a fair amount of speed. I always quote Allen Jerkens, 'Run 'em when they're good,' and he's good right now. We were planning on waiting for the Belmont, but a lot of things can happen in between. He's telling us he's happy, so we're going to go with it."
Late-running Sandman, a son of Tapit , is a winner of three of nine starts and $1,254,595 for owners D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Stables.
Casse is often willing to run horses on quick turnarounds, but initially had the Belmont Stakes in his sights with Sandman, a tall but lightly framed colt. Progeny of Tapit have won the Belmont four times, though always over the race's traditional distance of 1 1/2 miles. It is being run this year at 1 1/4 miles, as it was in 2024, due to the track configuration at Saratoga.
Sandman, whose Preakness rider was undetermined as of Saturday, will ship to Pimlico Monday.
walsh says gosger is 'ready to take a step forward' in preakness
The improving Lexington Stakes (G3) winner Gosger was given the green light for a start in the May 17 Preakness following a sharp five-furlong work Saturday morning at Keeneland.
Working in company with stablemate and George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) contender Paris Lily, Gosger completed his five furlongs in an official time of 1:00 3/5, the fastest of 14 works at the distance that morning. Trainer Brendan Walsh unofficially clocked the pair "in just a tick off a minute flat."
"Listen, he worked good," Walsh said. "Fifty-nine and four is a good work but he's not a spectacular work horse, he never has been, but this was a very good work for him."
Saturday's breeze was Gosger's third work back since his decisive two-length score in the April 12 Lexington Stakes over the Keeneland oval. The son of Nyquist , a homebred for the late Harvey Clarke, drilled five furlongs in 1:00 May 1.
The second jewel of the Triple Crown had been under consideration since Gosger's Lexington win.
"I think we're going to go," Walsh said. "He hasn't given me a reason not to. He's been doing well since his race. He's ready to take a step forward, so I think we'll take a shot at it."
Walsh said both Gosger and Godolphin's homebred Paris Lily were scheduled to van over to Pimlico Monday night with a Tuesday morning arrival time.
Danny Sheehy, a jockey in Ireland looking to start riding races in the United States, was aboard Gosger for Saturday's work.
"(Sheehy has) been over here working for me the last six weeks," Walsh said. "He's been getting on (Gosger) in the mornings and galloping him too. He's a very good rider. He's going to start riding races here soon, he's ridden 100 odd races in Ireland. We're going to help get him up and running here before too long."
Godolphin's East Avenue has exited the Kentucky Derby "very good and acting like his self," according to Walsh. A narrow runner-up in Keeneland's Blue Grass Stakes (G1), East Avenue finished eighth in a mud-riddled Run for the Roses.
"He ran ok, he just didn't care for the slop," Walsh said. "We'll probably give it another week or 10 days and then make a decision, we'll obviously shorten him up in trip."
River Thames OutWorks Company in New York Drill
The Todd Pletcher-trained River Thames, meanwhile, recorded his final workout before the Preakness in New York, where he breezed a half-mile in :48.25 over the Belmont Park dirt training track.
In Saturday's breeze, with exercise rider Fernando Rivera up, River Thames started just off and to the outside of dual stakes-placed New York-bred Trust Fund, before drawing up alongside in the turn and finishing at least one length in front.
"He went very well, in hand throughout," said Pletcher. "He put in a nice half-mile in :48 and change. He galloped out around the turn strongly and looked good."
Pletcher said he clocked River Thames galloping out in 1:01 and 1:15.
River Thames, who began his career 2-for-2 in one-turn races, ran a close second to Sovereignty in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park, and most recently was third, beaten three-quarters of a length by Burnham Square and East Avenue, in the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.
Pletcher, who has won two runnings of the Kentucky Derby and four renewals of the Belmont, seeks his first Preakness victory with the WinStar Farm, CHC, Pantofel Stable, and Wachtel Stable-owned 3-year-old.
"I'd love to check that box; we will give it a try," Pletcher said.
River Thames is a son of Maclean's Music , a stallion known for passing along speed to his progeny. He is the sire of 2017 Preakness winner Cloud Computing.
