After Always Dreaming won the Kentucky Derby, trainer Todd Pletcher said he intends to race the Colt in the Preakness Stakes.
“If he’s doing well, we’re going to go to Baltimore," Pletcher said. "And I don’t think I’m going to have to twist anybody’s arm on the other side of the table to do that."
Always Dreaming is likely to face several fresh horses that skipped the first leg of the Triple Crown. A majority of the 20-horse field that ran on the sloppy track in Saturday's Derby won't go on to Baltimore.
Pletcher said Always Dreaming will head to Baltimore on Tuesday, so the 3-year-old colt has plenty of time to adjust to his new surroundings ahead of his next race.
Also possible to run in the Preakness is Lookin At Lee, the long shot that finished second in the Derby, and 13th-place Girvin. If an issue with fourth-place Classic Empire's right eye clears up, he could join them.
The Preakness is the second jewel in horse racing’s Triple Crown — it will be run in Baltimore on the third Saturday in May.
Saturday marked Pletcher’s second Derby win — he won in 2010 with Super Saver, but finished 8th in the Preakness.
Wagering was at an all-time high for the Derby, with more than $209 million bet on races throughout the day — 8 percent higher than the previous record set in 2015.
