Silent Tactic Takes Step Toward Preakness With Breeze

Silent Tactic, scratched days before the May 2 Kentucky Derby (G1) because of a bruised foot, remains on target for the May 16 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Laurel Park if the issue does not resurface following a half-mile breeze in :48 4/5 May 8 at Churchill Downs. Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said he watched a video of the workout sent to him shortly after it was completed. He said he was encouraged by what he saw from the Tacitus colt, who is not known for flashy morning drills. Working in company with older allowance winner Aristotle, Silent Tactic galloped out with enthusiasm, well in front of his workmate. "That's what I wanted to see," Casse said in a telephone interview. "Now let's see how he is. That's the first time we put pressure on that foot since it started bothering him here. So right now, I'd say there's a decent shot he's going to go to the Preakness. "I saw what I needed to see today, but we still gotta see. I don't want to 100% commit. I want to see what tomorrow brings and how he reacts to this work." If Silent Tactic continues progressing and makes the Preakness starting gate, he is expected to be one of the favorites for the 1 3/16-mile second leg of the Triple Crown. That standing is aided by the anticipated absence of most Kentucky Derby (G1) participants, including victorious Golden Tempo and runner-up Renegade. According to Casse, Silent Tactic's foot was in good shape by the time the Derby was run. Owned by John Oxley, the 3-year-old has put together one of the more consistent campaigns of 2026. The late-running colt this year competed in all four Kentucky Derby preps at Oaklawn Park, winning the Southwest Stakes (G3) and finishing second in the Smarty Jones Stakes, Rebel Stakes (G2), and Arkansas Derby (G1). His late-running style would seemingly have suited the dynamics of this year's Kentucky Derby, which unfolded favorably for closers. The Preakness similarly appears loaded with pace. Derby third-place finisher Ocelli, a graded-placed maiden sent off at odds of 70-1 in the Derby as the longest shot in the field, is among the few Derby runners expected to return in the next race in the Triple Crown series. The top two Derby finishers are awaiting the June 6 Belmont Stakes (G1), contested five weeks after the Kentucky Derby. This year marks the third time in the past five years that a healthy Kentucky Derby winner has bypassed the Preakness because of the two-week turnaround. Rich Strike (2022) and Sovereignty (2025) also skipped it and returned in the Belmont. "We need separation in these races," Casse said of the Triple Crown schedule. He acknowledged that "a few years ago I would have said leave it alone," but now believes the series needs to be "tweaked," noting how infrequently many horsemen opt to run back in the second leg. Casse has been one of the few old-school trainers willing to return one on short rest, winning the 2019 Preakness with War of Will after that colt's troubled seventh-place finish when impeded in the Kentucky Derby. "Think about it, if we went a month (between races), the Preakness would be a tougher race," he said. More than a dozen horses remain under consideration for the $2 million Preakness, including Chip Honcho, Corona de Oro, Crupper, Express Kid, Great White, Iron Honor, Napoleon Solo, Pretty Boy Miah, Taj Mahal, Talkin, and The Hell We Did. Corono de Oro, third in the Lexington Stakes (G3) for trainer Dallas Stewart, also breezed Friday at Churchill Downs, timed covering 5 furlongs in :59 4/5.