Trainer John Ennis said Great White (Volatile), who reared up and fell before he was loaded into the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby and was scratched, escaped without a scratch and is a strong possibility to run in the GI Preakness Stakes.
“I've taken worse falls out of bed,” Ennis quipped by phone Monday.
Regular rider Alex Achard, who also escaped injury in the incident, is scheduled to ride.
According to Ennis, the hulking colt will work an easy half-mile Saturday at the trainer's home base–The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington.
“When he reared up, the pony rider pulled against him and he just turned him over,” Ennis said. “He'll do that. He'll rear up, but he never falls over. So when he runs next time, he won't go with the pony. He'll be fine. He doesn't need a pony. He's a very good boy.
He continued, “Straight after when he fell over, we brought him back to the barn, gave him a bath and took him out for grass. He was fresh, like he wanted to run. [Sunday], we took him out for a roll. He rolled and got up bucking and squealing and everything. He's not tired. He's ready to go. He jogged two miles this morning perfect. We'll train him all week and breeze him Saturday. And if he breezes good and I'm happy with him, he'll have an entry in the Preakness.”
Great White finished fifth in the April 4 GI Blue Grass at Keeneland in his last start, his first race on dirt where he found himself uncharacteristically on the early lead. His first three starts were over Turfway Park's synthetic surface, including a victory in the 1 1/16-mile John Battaglia Memorial Feb. 21.
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