Hansen will bypass the Preakness Stakes and in the meantime will train for the Belmont Stakes
The light gray colt, Hansen, is not going to run in the 1 3/16 mile Grade 1, $1 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on 19 May, 2012, according to his majority owner, Dr. Kendall Hansen.
Owned in partnership with Sky Chai Stable, Hansen was in contention to win the Kentucky Derby even before entering his sophomore season.
The Kentucky bred 3-year-old Tapit colt set up some awesome hype when he became the 2011 juvenile champ by winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and asserted himself as the one to look out in the 2012 Derby trail and Kentucky Derby itself.
His first step toward solidifying his favoured status for the Kentucky Derby was his seasonal debut in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Going a mile, Hansen relied on his front-wheeling, and it was thought that he is invincible when he breaks nicely and goes out in the front, but in the front he did dart to the lead, but it was a clean break as they would’ve liked.
The Michael J. Maker trained colt stumbled out of the gate and probably lost some crucial momentum. It wasn’t to be accounted for as the colt was in his ideal position, only to be edged past by Algorithms in the stretch to finish second.
The front-running style was a little too risky against quality to work all the time was a shady business and playing on the hands of luck all the time, which was a given fact, but Algorithms shooting him down in the stretch spelled reality check for Hansen’s
connections.
In his next race, Hansen was to try a different approach, one he hasn’t been accustomed to, but the changes had to be made for the early Kentucky Derby favourite.
The Grade 3 Gotham Stakes was taken as a battle test Hansen’s stalking approach, out of which – the colt came out as the victor, as he reeled in My Adonis to win it – which ultimately proved his versatility.
It was the best thing going into the Derby, but the Run for the Roses is a real cruel two minutes for some, and it proved the same for Hansen, as he got himself in a striking position only to fade away to finish ninth in the Derby.
His connections aren’t going to run his after 2 weeks rest; they are more leaning towards the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on 9 June, 2012.
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