Kentucky Derby | New challengers prepare for Preakness

At least one beaten rival in Saturday's Kentucky Derby is anxious to get a quick rematch with California Chrome, the 1¾-length winner over Commanding Curve in the 140th running of America's biggest horse race.

And that's not necessarily the camps of Commanding Curve, or third-place Danza, or fourth-place Wicked Strong or fifth-place Samraat.

The person itching for another go in 12 days in Baltimore's $1.5 million Preakness Stakes is "Bronco" Billy Gowan, the Louisville-based trainer of Ride On Curlin, who rallied from really far last behind a sluggish pace to finish seventh with a brutal trip.

Gowan said he had great respect for California Chrome but was not scared away.

"Heck, he crawled up there on the front end," he said of the pace. "And they came home (the final quarter-mile) in 26¹/₅ (seconds). I know darn well my horse can come home in 26. … I think I had a horse who could have won the race."

Jockey Calvin Borel made a sharp left-hand turn out of post 18 shortly after the start to beeline to the rail. That left him last as the rest of the field spurted ahead, at least six lengths behind the next-to-last horse going into the first turn.

Borel saved ground throughout — the Trakus system that charts how far each horse runs said Ride On Curlin ran the fourth-least distance — but also had nowhere to go as the tepid pace had the field bunched and resulted in a roughly run race.

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The result was in contrast to Borel's three Derby victories, when he was able to scoot up the rail to glory upon Street Sense, Mine That Bird and Super Saver.

At the top of the stretch, Borel tried to find a seam through which to go, finally having to make a sharp right-hand turn to get to the outside. Once in the clear, Ride On Curlin made a nice run from the extreme outside.

According to the Equibase race chart, Ride On Curlin was 9½ lengths off the lead at the top of the stretch, 15 lengths back at the eighth pole and lost by 6¾ — a length out of fourth.

"Horses were stopping in front of him, and he had nowhere to go," Gowan said. "… He only ran three-eighths of a mile. If he bounces out of it like he did these other races, I'm going to the Preakness. I'm not scared of any 3-year-old. … The main thing is, he came out of the race good. Maybe we'll win the Preakness."

Trainer Dallas Stewart called Commanding Curve "50-50" for the Triple Crown's 1³/₁₆-mile middle leg.

"We'll just have to see if he's ready to run back in two weeks," said Stewart, who last year skipped the Preakness with Derby runner-up Golden Soul to await the Belmont in New York. "If he's not ready, he's not running. If he's ready, he's running."

Aron Wellman, president of the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners syndicate that campaigns Arkansas Derby winner Danza, did not rule out the Preakness but said a third race in a five-week span was not ideal.

"I couldn't be more proud of the horse," he said. "For him to overcome the trouble and obstacles in his way pretty much from the get-go is extremely impressive.

"Everything's on the table right now. He's going back to New York (Monday) and Todd (Pletcher) will have to monitor him closely and let the horse tell us what to do."

Wellman, who is based in California, said he's admired California Chrome from the start. "He's just a superb horse, and he proved it," he said. "He won the Kentucky Derby geared down. That said it all."

Given that there's been no Triple Crown winner in 36 years, "you don't want to rush to judgment to say a horse is or isn't capable of winning the Triple Crown," Wellman said. "That said, I don't think anybody can underestimate what California Chrome is capable of doing at this point."

Rick Violette, Samraat's trainer, called the Derby winner "the real deal." He said if California Chrome for some reason did not run in the Preakness "you'd probably have to seriously think about it. We figure we're as good as anybody else."

John Oxley's Dynamic Impact, winner of the Illinois Derby, is probable for the Preakness after a strong five-eighths of a mile work Saturday morning at Churchill.

"Going into the Derby, it looked like California Chrome was the class of the field. I think coming out, it appears the same," said Mark Casse, Dynamic Impact's trainer. "I couldn't believe how slow the race was because the track was fairly fast. I see he got like a 97 Beyer. That's got to be one of the lower Derby Beyers in a while. I don't know what to think of it. He's obviously a very good horse. But I think our horse, given his recent form, deserves a chance."

One horse ruled out of Preakness consideration was Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable.

"We just didn't feel it was in her best interest to run back in two weeks at this time — with her pedigree and temperament — and we'd like to keep her around racing for quite some time," said trainer Steve Asmussen. "We do not feel it is a question of her talent level. We think she's still got some maturing to do."

Asmussen said the Derby distance "caught up with him" in Tapiture's 15th place.

Meanwhile, count Asmussen among those who believe California Chrome can pull off the Triple Crown.

"It would be a Disneyland story," he said.

Contact Jennie Rees at (502) 582-4042. Follow her on Twitter @CJ_Jennie, Facebook.com/CJJennie and courier-journal.com/racingblog.

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