After two days of walking, GI Preakness S. winner Exaggerator (Curlin) returned to galloping Saturday morning at Pimlico.
“He's fabulous. He's his usual self. He was actually very relaxed on the track,” said Julie Clark, assistant to trainer Keith Desormeaux. “He's gotten a little more comfortable out there and galloped around easy, came back and came out here to graze after he cooled out. He's pretty happy. It's nice and quiet so I think he really enjoys it here. It's a nice break before we hit Belmont and gear back up.”
Exaggerator will walk Sunday morning before leaving for Belmont around 7:00 a.m., where he will be stabled in the barn of trainer Mark Casse.
“I went and checked it out while I was over there and it's great,” Clark commented. “They've redone all those barns and there's a jogging track in there. It's secluded and quiet so I think he'll like it.”
Reddam Racing's GI Kentucky Derby hero Nyquist (Uncle Mo) walked the shedrow Saturday and will continue to do so until his return to California, which is scheduled for June 5. The Eclipse winner was withdrawn from Belmont consideration after spiking a fever and being found to have an elevated white blood count in the days following his third-place finish in the Preakness last week.
“It was an incredible feeling going into Baltimore with the Derby winner. There's no better feeling and you get treated like a king,” trainer Doug O'Neill said on the Nyquist's Twitter feed. “He's going to be fine. There's a lot of options. Talking to Team Reddam, the plan is to get him right and get a few works back into where we want to be.”
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