That's a downer. Thought Hull was a live one in this spot.

Arrggh.

Probably not a terrible idea though. I want to see him go two turns in a bad way.

Is this what you had in mind? Jeremy is in the yellow silks on the rail in the stretch..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NBFmTT50Y0

Not his finest moment but he swears it was an accident...

Big difference from the guy who used to be remembered for his recovery (or more so, the horse's recovery) during the Preakness.

NTRA's Preakness Greatest Moments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR1fs...eature=related

I think it's a good decision but it is worth noting that the Woody Stephens has a chance to be very salty. I was looking at the Preakness field for the first time last night and the first thing I thought when looking at Hull is that they have time to stretch him out and need not hurry.

I also like Big Drama and Hull not being in the race will help his chances.

NT

I think you're right about them having time -- they can find a good spot for him, and though I'm excited for him to stretch out, I'm perfectly happy with them finding something a little easier to see what he's made of around two turns. Would've loved the LS Derby for him, but I'm glad they're finding the spot they want with him.

Love the avatars

I'm disappointed. I think he's just OK at best... Would have liked to have seen him in there to draw dough.

Hull will skip the Preakness
 

PREAKNESS NOTES (5/11): Big Drama
 

BIG DRAMA – Jockey John Velazquez and Big Drama got acquainted at Pimlico Monday morning during a four-furlong workout that was timed in 50 seconds. The pair galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.60 in preparation for the Preakness Stakes.

Although the clocking wasn’t eye-catching, Velazquez was suitably impressed with the son of Montbrook.

“He did everything very, very easy. I just wanted to get a little feel for him. He was going to the pole a little bit strong, so I wanted to be a little cautious with him. The race is pretty close right now,” the New York-based jockey said.

“The reason I started slow was because he was going strong to the (half-mile) pole. I didn’t want him to do too much. If I let him go too fast the first part, I’d have no control of him. I wanted to have control of him to have him do what I wanted him to do, not him controlling me,” added Velazquez, who inherited his Preakness mount when Eibar Coa opted to stick with Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Musket Man.

Big Drama, who made a little jump over a spot in the track at the top of the stretch that had different harrow marks than the rest of the track, otherwise appeared to move well over the Pimlico racing surface.

“He didn’t want to leave his race on the track. I’d rather have (50 seconds) than go out there and go 46 (seconds) and get sick to your stomach,” trainer David Fawkes said. “He galloped out good. He’s fit. It was just maintenance.”

Velazquez said he was “shocked’ that Calvin Borel made a commitment to ride Rachel Alexandra instead of Mine That Bird in the Preakness, but that he could identify with him. Velazquez made a switch to Rags to Riches before her historic victory in the 2007 Belmont Stakes.

“I know the feeling that he has,” said Velazquez. “I jumped off another horse to ride her, because of the quality of horse that she was. So I already did it once. I didn’t win on that horse before, but I was committed to another horse. I just think he knows the filly has the quality to win this race. She’s showing the potential to do what Rags to Riches did.”

That is a good looking animal!

Completely agree , not to mention he may have softened the favorite a little on the front end.

Yea, that is a beautiful picture.

Valazquez is a good fit with Big Drama. JV likes to sit right up and outside of the pacemaker and that fits pretty well.

Is that Velasquez working a horse? Probably the only picture of its kind around.

His new top was still going to be below the rest of the runner.

He wont win the Preakness.

The Filly will bounce.

Pioneer of Thenile will win.

Tuesday at Pimlico

· Papa Clem will work at 7 am

· Friesan Fire scheduled for 8 am work. Trainer Larry Jones to decide on Preakness after breeze

· Big Drama has been here since last Tuesday. He has been going to the track at 6:30 am

· D. Wayne Lukas’ horses (Flying Private & Luv Gov) leaving Louisville at 4 am

· General Quarters scheduled to leave Churchill at 5 am

· Mine That Bird will leave Kentucky at 9 am

Van drivers tell us it is 10-11 hours from Churchill to Pimlico. Derby winner will get a police escort from Route 70, prior to the Baltimore Beltway into Old Hilltop.

So is Luv Gov still running if it doesn't shut Rachel out?

Yeah. Apparently..

Cool.
This will work out well when another
drunken brawl breaks out.

LOL, they have a typo in this article - listing Lukas as the jockey and the trainer as undecided:

http://www.drf.com/news/article/103693.html