2010 Preakness: Morning Works

A quick take on some of the morning moves during the past two weeks for this Saturday's Preakness contenders:

• If you are a Jackson Bend fan you got to love seeing that bullet work at 4f yesterday morning.  Trainer Nick Zito was quoted after the breeze as saying, "Did you see that work?"  I didn't, Nick, but it looks nice on paper.
• Yawanna Twist has had a couple of pretty slow works over the last two weeks, but he's generally a horse that doesn't show a lot in the morning so I don't think that's any kind of sign.
• Interesting that Caracortado's trainer opted for a 7f work on Saturday morning with his colt.  Cara hasn't run since the Santa Anita Derby so Michael Machowsky is probably trying to get a little big of stamina into this one.  This was only his third work since his last race. Cara is either going to be very fresh for the Preakness, very short, or a combination of both.
• Given his prior races and his sharp work just two days ago, I won't be a bit surprised to see First Dude leading the Preakness field into the first turn.  According to trainer Dale Romans in a Thoroughbred Times article, First Dude was originally pointed towards last Saturday's Dwyer Stakes at Belmont with eyes on the Belmont Stakes five weeks later.  He developed a quarter crack and opted for the Preakness instead.  
  
  The idea that they missed training time with this colt and couldn't get him ready for the Dwyer makes him an iffy bet in the Preakness in my mind.  Reading between the lines, it sounds like the Belmont is the race they think First Dude is best suited for as Romans believes this colt will be better as the distance increases.  Just something to consider.
• No published works for Paddy O'Prado or Lookin At Lucky since the Derby.