Hierro and Isn’t He Clever are off the Preakness Stakes list
Winner of the Grade 3 Derby Trial Stakes under the Twin Spires, Hierro, will not be featuring in the Grade 1, $1 million Preakness Stakes on 19 May, 2012, at Pimlico Race Course.
The news was confirmed after the son of Hard Spun completed his morning work at Churchill Downs on 14 May, 2012, and a Stonestreet Stable representative said that the owner, Barbara Banke, want to open other options for the colt except the Preakness option.
“Obviously he likes the wet track as we saw the other day,” trainer Steve Asmussen said referring to Hierro’s victory on a sloppy track in the Derby Trial. “He went really nice this morning.”
Steven Asmussen trained 3-year-old colt, Hierro broke his maiden in his third attempt at Churchill Downs going seven furlongs last year, and tried the Grade 3 Sham Stakes in his seasonal debut, but failed to finish fifth to winner, Out of Bounds at Santa Anita Park’s dirt course at about 1 mile – which he covered in 1 minute and 34.56 seconds on 7 January, 2012.
Bred in Kentucky by Sally Andersen, Hierro was cut back in distance after staying at Santa Anita Park to participate in a seven furlong long allowance/optional claimer, but failed to make an impression as he finished fourth on the day to winner Senor Rain.
However, his love for the Churchill Downs’ dirt track was apparent in the Derby Trial Stakes on 28 April, 2012, where he downed a good looking field with Paynter finishing second and Stealcase third, while Hierro topped the 1 mile distance in 1 minute and 35.27 seconds.
Another Steven Asmussen trained Preakness Stakes bound, Isn’t He Clever, is off the Preakness Stakes list.
J. Kirk and Judy Robison’s Isn’t He Clever winner of the Borderland Derby and the Sunland Derby runner up will look at other possibilities.
“We are going to wait for something after the Preakness,” Kirk Robison said from El Paso, Texas. “The horse could not be doing any better and Steve said he worked well this morning (a half-mile in :51 3/5 over a track rated as sloppy).
“We are going to wait for the right spot with him and I’ll let Steve tell me what that spot is.”
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