Harlem Rocker ruled out of Preakness, Field Taking Final Shape

Patrick at Handride, who owns a fractional share of Harlem Rocker, noted this morning that the colt is skipping the Preakness and trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Frank Stronach will instead focus the Canadian son of Macho Uno on the Queen's Plate at Woodbine in late June.

This is obviously great news for trainer Rick Dutrow, as Big Brown's path to greatness just got a little bit easier. The Kentucky Derby winner jogged over a muddy Churchill Downs track yesterday and is expected to ship to Pimlico on Thursday.

Another Preakness contender, Tres Borrachos also jogged at Churchill Downs yesterday, although with blinkers on for the first time. Trainer and part-owner Beau Greely said the colt may work with the new equipment on Tuesday before deciding if he will keep them on for the Preakness.

“In his races, horses would come up to him and he’d back up a little and then come again,” Greely said from Louisville on Sunday. “I want to see what (exercise rider Andy Durnin) thinks about them, but it looks like he was relaxed galloping today. He may have them on when he works Tuesday and then we’ll make a decision."

Stevin, Racecar Rhapsody and Macho Again are also training at Churchill in advance of Saturday's Preakness.

The field is shaping up to include the following 12 horse:

Preakness Probables
Behindatthebar (Pletcher, 1st Lexigton Stakes)
Big Brown (Dutrow, 1st Kentucky Derby)
Giant Moon (Schosberg, 4th Wood Memorial)
Hey Byrn (Plesa, 1st Holy Bull)
Icabad Crane (Motion, 1st Tesio)
Kentucky Bear (Baker, 3rd Blue Grass)
Macho Again (Stewart, 1st Derby Trial)
Racecar Rhapsody (McPeek, 4th Lexington Stakes)
Riley Tucker (Mott, 3rd Lexington Stakes)
Stevil (Zito, 4th Blue Grass Stakes)
Tres Borrachos (Greely, 3rd Arkansas Derby)
Yankee Bravo (Gallagher, 4th Santa Anita Derby)

Out
Recapturetheglory (out with a fever)
Harlem Rocker (to The Queen's Plate at Woodbine)