Filly Ria Antonia could run in Preakness Stakes

Add another to the growing list of possible Preakness Stakes challengers for Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome.

Connections to Ria Antonia, the Kentucky Oaks’ sixth-place finisher, plan to take a shot at the boys May 17 at Pimlico on the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Majority owner Ron Paolucci confirmed the news after Ria Antonia galloped Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs for trainer Tom Amoss, not Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who trained her leading up to the Oaks.

“She trained this morning with us for the first time,” Amoss said Tuesday morning at his Churchill Downs barn. “She is going to have a light breeze Monday or Tuesday (of next week) after which Mr. Paolucci and I will discuss the Preakness.”

Paolucci added to Bloodhorse.com that because he plans to race Ria Antonia mostly in the midwest, “it’s no use to me sending her back to California with Bob. It’s in the best interest of the filly not to ship her all around like that.”

Fillies to win the Preakness include Rachel Alexandra (2009), Nellie Morse (1924), Rhine Maiden (1915), Whimsical (1906) and Flocarline (1903).

The switch to Amoss marks Ria Antonia’s third trainer in a year. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner started with Jeremiah Englehart but switched to Baffert in February. Since then, she’s finished second in the Santa Anita Oaks and then run the Kentucky Oaks under Baffert.

A Preakness entry, where Ria Antonia would run without blinkers and with a new rider in place of Mike Smith, would also mean no rematch with dominant Oaks winner Untapable.

“Here’s the thing: Untapable is the best 3-year-old in the country, boy or girl, in my opinion,” Paolucci told DRF.com. “California Chrome is a great horse, but I believe if Untapable was in the Derby, she’d have won.

“With Social Inclusion going, Bayern going, I think there’s going to be a lot of speed in the Preakness, and it could really set up for her.”

Other likely entries to the Preakness include Derby scratch Pablo Del Monte, seventh-place Derby finisher Ride On Curlin, Illinois Derby winner Dynaomic Impact and Frederico Stakes winner Kid Cruz.

Jonathan Lintner can be reached at (502) 582-4199; follow him on Twitter @JonathanLintner.