If there’s any sign of fatigue in Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan , Robby Albarado is not seeing it.
A former jockey and now an assistant trainer for Ken McPeek and Mystik Dan’s exercise rider, Albarado said May 14 that the son of Goldencents is doing quite well after his grueling mile-and-a-quarter journey in the May 4 opening leg of the Triple Crown.
After the 3-year-old trained over the Pimlico Race Course surface for a second day, Albarado spoke in confident terms about Mystik Dan’s chances in the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1) on May 18.
“He went good. He’s going like expected, that every day would be a better day for him and he’s getting comfortable here with the surroundings,” said Albarado, who rode the filly Swiss Skydiver to victory in the 2020 Preakness for McPeek. “He knows where he’s at now. I couldn’t be more pleased with the way he trained today. I’m excited about him.”
Albarado said the Derby winner’s appetite can be a tipoff to how he’s feeling, and of late he has been attacking his feed tub with gusto.
“He ate up everything yesterday. Today after his bath he got into the hay rack and that is a tell-tale (sign),” Albarado said. “When he’s in the feed tub, he’s doing well.”
Albarado said Tuesday’s exercise regimen consisted of jogging about seven-eighths of a mile and galloping about a mile and a half.
“I let him go along and he’s not even blowing,” Albarado said. “The fitness is there. He feels good physically.”
In his career, which ended in 2021, Albarado won 5,222 races, including the 2007 Preakness with Curlin . He is tied with Mark Guidry for 30th on the all-time wins list.
Owned and bred by Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing, and Daniel Hamby III, and also co-owned by Valley View Farm, Mystik Dan is out of the Colonel John mare Ma’am and has won three of seven starts for McPeek, with earnings of $3,741,360.
Mystik Dan is the second choice in the morning line for the Preakness at 5-2, behind 8-5 favorite Muth , who won the Arkansas Derby (G1) with Mystik Dan finishing 6 1/4 lengths behind in third.
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas sent out his two Preakness starters, Just Steel and Seize the Grey , to gallop a mile and a half around Pimlico’s main track in preparation for the 1 3/16-mile second jewel in the Triple Crown.
“They went well and had a really good morning of training,” Lukas said about Tuesday’s dose of exercise. “I was real pleased with them.”
With horses having to be on the grounds by midday May 15, the other six starters are expected to be in their Pimlico stalls by the end of the day Tuesday.
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