Mystic Dan, winner of the Kentucky Derby a week ago, will race in the 149th Preakness Stakes, which will be held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, starting one week later on Saturday.
The stallion's trainer, Kenny McPeek, made the announcement after a week of speculation that the horse would miss the second leg of the Triple Crown race.
Alarm bells were ringing Sunday after Mystic Dan won the Kentucky Derby by a nose, eating little from his feed bucket and not sleeping well. However, his appetite returned and he has been running well and energetic ever since. A horse's relationship with its food is one of the warning signs trainers monitor to determine the horse's health.
In this case, there is nothing to worry about.
Jockey McPeak galloped his 3-year-old colt to exercise rider and retired jockey Robbie Alvarado at Churchill Downs on Saturday morning and returned safely. Mr McPeek also performed a scope exam, in which he inserted a tube into the horse's nostril and held the horse down to check for respiratory problems, with apparently positive results.
“All systems went down,” McPeak told the Maryland Jockey Club. “He will ship [on Sunday] morning. “
Horse Racing Nation reported that McPeek had already made all plans to move the horse to Baltimore.
“I've already sort of made all the arrangements,” he told the independent horse racing website. “It's just a matter of working out some of the little details. … I have my own truck, my own driver, my own employees. I don't have to make reservations.”
The Preakness may be a better distance for Mystic Dan, who nearly surrendered the lead at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby is 1 1/4 miles and the Preakness is 1 3/16 miles, about 110 yards shorter.
The drawing for the Preakness Stakes will be held on Monday. Although Mystic Dan won the Kentucky Derby, he is expected to be the second favorite behind trainer Bob Baffert's Arkansas Derby winner Moose, who was not eligible to run in the Derby. Mystic Dan finished third in the Arkansas Derby.