As the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1) field continues to take shape, Robert Zoellner's homebred stakes winner Crupper is a go with 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Horse of the Year-winning jockey Junior Alvarado to ride.
Trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel said that he confirmed the Preakness commitment May 4. Alvarado rode Crupper in Oaklawn Park's April 18 Bathhouse Row Stakes, a victory that gave Crupper a free entry in the May 16 Preakness being held this year at Laurel Park.
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott chose to bypass the Preakness with Chief Wallabee, who finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby, making Alvarado available.
After finishing sixth in his debut sprinting last fall at Churchill Downs, Crupper has improved each start racing around two turns. He won a 1 1/16-mile Oaklawn Park maiden race at 16-1 odds in his third start, which also was the first time he competed in blinkers. That was followed by a good third in an allowance race, which preceded his victory in the 1 1/8-mile Bathhouse Row with Alvarado up.
"His family are typical two-turn horses. They get better with age," Von Hemel said. "I think he's moved forward this spring. I wanted to run him a mile and an eighth. His mother (She's All In) was second to Royal Delta going a mile and a quarter in the (2013) Delaware Handicap. So the farther you go, the better you feel about him. To go a mile and an eighth, we had to run in the Bathhouse Row. It worked out that way, and he ran a big race.
"By the time he turned down the backside, he was in front, not by much. In all his previous races, he never ran out of gas. It was like, 'Why didn't we get more forward? Then you don't have to try to catch them,'" he added. "He never really showed a big, explosive move or anything. He just kept running. From the post position (7 of 8) we had in the Bathhouse, we felt we could let him run away from there and into the first turn. It turned out the horse that was inside kind of backed off a little bit, then the horse on the outside of him backed off a little bit and he ended up in front—and stayed there."
Crupper, by Candy Ride , had a sparkling 5-furlong work in :59 4/5 seconds May 1 at Trackside, Churchill Downs' satellite training center.
Crupper will probably leave Louisville for Maryland May 12, Von Hemel said.
Golden Tempo Preakness Decision by Week's End
Cherie DeVaux, the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby with Golden Tempo's upset victory, told NBC's Today show Monday that a decision whether to run in the 151st Preakness Stakes should be made by the end of the week.
Golden Tempo shipped back to DeVaux's main base at Keeneland May 3. He had a scheduled walk day May 4.
Great White Preakness-Bound Pending Work
Trainer John Ennis said Great White—who reared up and fell before he was loaded into the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby, becoming a late scratch—came out of the mishap without as much as a scratch and is a strong possibility to run in the Preakness.
"I've taken worse falls out of bed," Ennis quipped May 4.
Regular rider Alex Achard, who also escaped injury in the incident, has the mount.
Ennis said Great White will work an easy half-mile May 9 at the trainer's home base, the Keeneland-owned The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington.
He said the massive, good-feeling gray or roan gelding rears when he's feeling good but always comes back down on his feet.
"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.
"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," he added. "(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 (Monday) 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."
Preakness Still in Mix For Talk to Me Jimmy
The Preakness remains a possibility for New York-bred Withers Stakes winner Talk to Me Jimmy, who is entered in the May 9 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct.
"We haven't made the final decision yet. We're looking at the races and see what they look like and try to make the best decision for the horse," trainer and co-owner Rudy Rodriguez said. "The owner is going to make the decision in the next couple of days."
Dustin Pusatere's SEI Thoroughbreds, Rodriguez, and Michael Imperio's Talk to Me Jimmy breezed 4 furlongs in :49 over the Belmont Park training track May 4. It was his third work since finishing eighth, beaten 4 1/2 lengths, in the April 4 Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct.
DRF REPORTS OTTINHO TO MISS PREAKNESS
Trainer Chad Brown told Daily Racing Form Monday that Ottinho, runner-up in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), will not run in either the Peter Pan Stakes (G3) May 9 at Aqueduct or the Preakness Stakes.
Brown said Ottinho missed a work on the last weekend of April due to a foot issue, then worked a slow half-mile in :52 4/5 by himself May 2 at Churchill Downs. Brown did not offer an immediate plan for the son of Quality Road , who has a record of 1-1-2 in four starts.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
