Imperialism Will Run in the Preakness

Imperialism, the third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, will be flown from California to Baltimore on Tuesday to run in next Saturday’s Preakness, owner Steve Taub said Saturday.

There had been some thought given by trainer Kristin Mulhall to skipping the Preakness and saving Imperialism for the Belmont Stakes on June 5. The Derby was the 3-year-old gray colt’s 16th start -- more than any other horse -- and his fifth this year.

“The horse is doing so well that we’ve decided to run at Pimlico,” Taub said at Hollywood Park. “We weighed him before the Santa Anita Derby, and we weighed him after he got back from Kentucky, and he’s lost only two pounds. That’s amazing, considering the campaign he’s had.”

Kent Desormeaux, who rode Imperialism for the first time in the Derby, also will have the mount in the Preakness. Imperialism, purchased earlier this year for a reported $150,000, won the San Vicente and San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita, then finished third in the Santa Anita Derby before being moved up a notch after the stewards’ disqualification of Rock Hard Ten.

Besides Smarty Jones, the Derby winner, and Imperialism, Lion Heart, The Cliff’s Edge and Borrego are other Derby horses expected to run in the Preakness. They will be joined by Eddington, Little Matth Man, Rock Hard Ten, Water Cannon and possibly Sir Shackleton, winner of the Derby Trial.

Nick Zito, who trains The Cliff’s Edge and Sir Shackleton, has had a rough spring, and has learned the horses he trained for Mahmoud Fustok’s Buckram Oak Farm will be sent to other trainers. The group includes Eurosilver, once considered Zito’s strongest Derby contender. Eurosilver, who had been expected to run in the Blue Grass at Keeneland three weeks before the Derby, missed the race because of an infected neck gland and has been taken out of training.

Invited to see one of Smarty Jones’ morning gallops at Philadelphia Park, a crowd estimated at 6,000 to 8,000 -- including Joseph DiGirolamo, mayor of nearby Bensalem -- turned out Saturday morning for free coffee and doughnuts. Philadelphia Park’s average crowd for Saturday afternoon racing is 4,000 or 5,000.

Instead of riding at Belmont Park, where he had been named on a horse in a stake race, Smarty Jones’ jockey, Stewart Elliott, remained at his home track, Philadelphia Park, and won three races. Elliott, whose licensing problems in Kentucky may lead to a fine from the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, will ride at Philadelphia Park today, Monday and Tuesday and Atlantic City Race Course on Wednesday and Thursday. He’ll ride at Pimlico on Friday before trying to win the Preakness with Smarty Jones the next day.

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