Racing: Animal Kingdom well placed

Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom. Photo / AP

There will be no rematch between Animal Kingdom and Nehro at the Preakness.

Nehro, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby behind Animal Kingdom, will skip Sunday's (NZT) second leg of the Triple Crown and be pointed toward the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 11.

Nehro's owner, Ahmed Zayat, said yesterday that the decision was based on the horse's hectic spring schedule. Although Nehro emerged well from the Derby, the Preakness would have been his fourth race in the past two months.

Despite his absence, the race is expected to attract the maximum 14 horses - only the third time since 1991.

Animal Kingdom's trainer Graham Motion will enter today's draw with more concern about his horse's post position than the credentials of the other entrants. After starting from the No 16 post at Churchill Downs, Animal Kingdom rallied to beat Nehro by 2 lengths.

Motion wants no part of the Preakness rail. "I'd rather not be stuck on the inside, very much like the Derby.

"It's 14 horses instead of 20, but it's still a large field so he's going to have to navigate traffic. He's not looking obviously [to be] on the pace. I'd much rather be on the middle to outside."

With Nehro out, Isn't He Perfect moves into position to join the starting field. Isn't He Perfect has amassed more than US$90,000 in earnings but hasn't finished in the money in three stakes races this year.

Saratoga Red, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, needs another horse to drop out to make the Preakness field. If that doesn't happen, Saratoga Red probably will run on Sunday's undercard.

Meanwhile, in Australia, the Stradbroke Handicap is back on the radar for Hay List, along with a possible switch in training venues while he is in Queensland.

Trainer John McNair is now looking at every option for Hay List who will clash for a fifth time with the world's best sprinter Black Caviar in the Doomben 10,000 on Saturday week.

"I don't want people to start backing him as it's more likely he won't run in the Stradbroke," McNair said.

"But if he happened to win the 10,000 it would be silly not to take it on.

"If he got towelled again then there's no point going on."

Black Caviar has topweight of 60.5kg in the A$1 million Stradbroke Hcp (1400m) on June 11, a weight no mare has carried to victory. Hay List, who will be reunited with jockey Glyn Schofield in the Doomben 10,000, has 57.5kg.

Schofield will make his comeback at Rosehill on Saturday after three weeks recovering from injuries suffered in last month's Sydney Cup fall.

McNair considered switching training venues this week. "I'd just like to see him in an environment that is quieter but it's hard to find." He plans to increase Hay List's workload as he bids to end Black Caviar's unbeaten streak of 13 wins.

"I've always tried to leave something there for raceday. But I've made a decision to throw everything at him in trackwork. Nothing has worked so far. If he can get a big enough lead it might make Black Caviar take off earlier."

- AGENCIES