Zetterholm and Tiger Walk work ahead of the Preakness Stakes
Preparations for the Grade 1, $1 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on 19 May, 2012, are on a high, and some contenders are closing out their work session for the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, as the race draws closer.
The two contenders Tiger Walk and Zetterholm turned in their final works on 13 May, 2012, when they went out on the Pimlico Race Course to absorb the feel of the course and the surface.
Trained by Ignacio Correas IV for Sagamore Farm, Tiger Walk has been placed in graded stakes coming in to the Preakness Stakes, wore “cheater” blinkers when he turned in four furlongs in 47.60 seconds coupled with rider, Horacio Karmanos.
Correas was happy with the son of Tale of the Cat’s work, but he admitted that he went a little faster than he wanted him to go.
The trainer will bring in an equipment change by persisting with the “cheater” blinkers in the Preakness Stakes, as he hopes that the change will bring more focus to Tiger Walk’s game.
"Especially on the turns, he’s been losing ground," he said. "It’s like coming into the turn he’s three lengths behind the pace and coming home, it’s like seven or eight lengths, and then he’s closing ground. So we’re trying to avoid that."
Out of Kris S. mare Majestic Trail, Tiger Walk won his maiden special weight race at third asking, and then immediately downed an allowance/optional claimer at a mile at Laurel Park in his next start.
He finished third in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes, fourth in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, and fourth again in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.
Winter Park Partners owned 3-year-old colt, Zetterholm, was early on the track for a leisurely tour, but went back at the track after a gap of 2 hours or so, to turn in five furlongs in 1 minute and 1 2/5 seconds.
Trained by Richard Dutrow Jr. Zetterholm is coming off a hat-trick he scored with a win in the Patsyprospect Stakes at Aqueduct racetrack, going a mile, and he is now getting in the feel of the track with exercise jockey Mario Madrid jogging him around the Pimlico track.
Tags: