D. Wayne Lukas, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999, has given the mount aboard Just Steel in the May 18 Preakness Stakes (G1) to the latest jockey elected into the Hall of Fame: Joel Rosario, whose induction ceremony is this summer.
Speaking May 9 during a National Thoroughbred Racing Association teleconference with media, Lukas expressed eagerness to run Kentucky Derby (G1) 17th-place finisher Just Steel in the second leg of the Triple Crown, as well as Seize the Grey, winner of the May 4 Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Jaime Torres will be aboard MyRacehorse's Seize the Grey, as he was when they paired for victory in the Pat Day Mile.
Just Steel, owned by BC Stables and Henry Schmueckle, proved a surprising pace player in the 1 1/4-mile Derby, contesting the pace of the Rosario-ridden Track Phantom before weakening after six furlongs in 1:11.31. According to Lukas, Just Steel became aggressive under Derby jockey Keith Asmussen after being bumped at the start. The Justify colt usually races from off the pace, such as when he rallied to finish second to Muth in the Arkansas Derby (G1) last month—beating eventual Derby winner Mystik Dan by 4 1/4 lengths.
Muth is likely to start as the betting favorite in the Preakness for trainer Bob Baffert, even if trainer Kenny McPeek opts to run Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan. Baffert also intends to run Santa Anita Derby (G1) runner-up Imagination.
Rosario was last aboard Just Steel when the colt won the Ed Brown Stakes last fall at Churchill Downs. He was also up when Just Steel broke his maiden last summer at Saratoga Race Couse, another one of his five rides on Just Steel. He has not ridden him in his five races since the Ed Brown, all this year.
The Preakness is one of the few major stakes races to elude Rosario, who is winless in nine Preakness rides. Four times he has been second—most recently on Epicenter in 2022—and once third aboard Creative Cause in 2012. His mount last year, late-running Red Route One, finished fourth.
Rosario has won the two other legs of the Triple Crown, piloting Orb to win the 2013 Kentucky Derby, and winning the Belmont Stakes (G1) aboard Tonalist in the 2014 and Sir Winston in 2019. Lukas is a six-time Preakness winner, with his most recent success coming with the Gary Stevens-ridden Oxbow in 2013. He has 14 wins in Triple Crown races.
A medium-sized field is anticipated for the 1 3/16-mile Preakness, with officials hopeful of securing a few late additions before entries are made May 13. Tuscan Gold was confirmed for the Preakness Thursday by trainer Chad Brown.
Lukas said his horses would travel from Churchill Downs to Pimlico Race Course, where the Preakness is contested, early next week.
Besides Mystik Dan, whose status is not expected to be finalized until the weekend, the connections of Derby fourth-place finisher Catching Freedom are also taking a wait-and-see approach to the race. He races for Albaugh Family Stables. According to Jason Loutsch, a co-owner and racing manager for Albaugh Family Stables, Catching Freedom is under consideration for the Preakness and could run there or in the June 9 Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.
Loutsch told Pimlico publicity by phone that the decision on the colt's racing status would be made by trainer Brad Cox. The trainer generally prefers to give his stakes competitors a month or more between starts.
"We'll know something by Saturday," Loutsch told Pimlico publicity. "Obviously, you'd love to run in Triple Crown races, but at the same time the horse is always first."
