MARION COUNTY, FL (352today) – Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, features three horses with local ties among the entries.
- Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, who trained at Silverleaf Hills Training Center in Summerfield
- Catching Freedom who is a graduate of Barry Berkelhammer’s AbraCadabra Farms in Ocala
- Mugatu who received his early education at Ciaran and Amy Dunne’s Wavertree Stables in Ocala
Mystik Dan
Mystik Dan was born and raised at Kenny McPeek’s Magadalena Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, arriving during the summer as a 1-year-old at Silverleaf Hills Training Center to be broken, in order to get used to the saddle, bridle and rider.
“He was very straight forward, very laid back, a what do you want me to do next kind of colt,” said Dominic Brennan, lead assistant trainer for McPeek Racing. “He was a sweet colt to be around. He went through his pretraining, getting broke in the round pen and then out in the paddock, and graduated to the racetrack.”
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The Kentucky Derby winning long shot was bred by owners Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby and Brent and Sharilyn Gasaway’s 4G Racing, LLC and Mystik Dan who won the Run for the Roses by the narrowest of margins, demonstrated his professionalism early in his training.
“He showed all along that he had some talent,” said Brennan. “He did everything right. He did everything you asked of him. You wouldn’t have even known if he was in the barn.”
However, it was the Kentucky Derby’s finish that made for an anxious, emotional and ultimately triumphant day for Team McPeek.
“At the eighth pole he looked like he was going to win by two or three,” said Brennan. “And then the other two horses (Sierra Leone and Forever Young) came on the outside. It was like, ‘Oh my God, he’s going to get caught.’ nd then all three of them hit the wire together. I did think he won the race initially, and then when I watched the replay. It was a little closer than I had thought. I had to sweat out the photo finish.”
Catching Freedom
Catching Freedom is owned by Albaugh Family Stables, trained by two-time trainer of the year Brad Cox, and ran fourth in this year’s Kentucky Derby. The graded stakes winner demonstrated his mettle by finishing less than two lengths behind Mystik Dan.
“I thought he ran a very good race, had to overcome a lot. He was tenacious, kept on running and he performed very well,” said Berkelhammer, whose graduates include the 2020 Preakness winner Swiss Skydiver. “It’s a tough race to win. It’s a classic (a jewel in thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown) and I think he’s (Catching Freedom) earned the right to be there.”
Mugatu
Average Joe Racing Stables Ltd and Dan Wells own Mugatu, who has won only one race. But he has run in stakes company in his last three starts.
Post time for the race is 7:01 p.m. The race will be broadcast on NBC. Coverage begins at 1:30 p.m.