The Lumber Guy has the Preakness Stakes as a real possibility
The 3-year-old colt, The Lumber Guy, who was Kentucky Derby bound at one point will be going beyond that race which is to be held at Churchill Downs on the first week of May at about 1 ¼ miles with the purse of $2 million.
Owner Barry K. Schwartz hasn’t been shy to say that he is looking for all sort of possible starts for the Michael Hushion trained colt, and one of the top races in mind isn’t far from the Triple Crown, in fact it is the second leg of the mega event held
at Pimlico, the Grade 1, $1 million Preakness Stakes.
It’s definitely a possibility, said Schwartz, who is also leaned toward other races and said that the Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park is also a possibility. The Peter Pan Stakes will be run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles over the Belmont
Park’s dirt track on 12 May, 2012.
The New York bred son of Grand Slam, out of mare Boltono by Unbridled’s Song, The Lumber Guy has won three races of his 4 career starts so far, and the only blemish came in the Grade 1, $1 million Wodd Memorial at Aqueduct where he was behind the pace and
stayed behind to finish second to the undefeated and the solid Kentucky Derby contender, Gemologist.
However, he bounced back magnificently from his fifth place defeat in the Wood, to bag the Grade 2 Jerome Handicap in front running style at Aqueduct racetrack.
Cutting back in distance was what the doctor ordered for The Lumber Guy, as he downed Brigand in second and Stirred Up in third with the winning time of 1 minute and 36.04 seconds, and with a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.
“It reminded me of why I’m in the horse business,” Schwartz said. “One day like that can make up for a bad week, month, or year. He really had a horrible trip in the Wood. This race really vindicated him. He’s a really nice horse.”
It will be up to trainer Michael Hushion to decide between Peter Pan and Preakness Stakes, based on the fact how the fields are shaping in both races.
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