Departing has final workout ahead of Preakness

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Departing, trained by Al Stall Jr., had his last workout Sunday morning in preparation for Saturday's 138th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.

With Larry Melancon in the saddle, the Illinois Derby winner covered four- furlongs in 50 2/5 seconds over a fast Churchill Downs track.

One week after winning the Run for the Roses for the first time with Orb, trainer Shug McGaughey offered no less enthusiasm.

"I'm still excited. I'm still thrilled. I'll be thrilled for the rest of my life," McGaughey said. "The main thing is just to see how excited and how thrilled Mr. (Dinny) Phipps and Mr. Janney have been since the race. Also the morale of our barn is just through the roof. Everybody is so excited."

Saturday it was decided that Mylute will be a starter in the middle jewel of racing's Triple Crown.

"I talked with Paul Buhlman (of GoldMark) and Mandy Pope (of Whisper Hill) and we discussed how he was doing and how he was training and the decision was made to go to the Preakness," trainer Tom Amoss said. "He is booked on the plane for Wednesday morning to go to Baltimore."

Mylute was fifth to Orb in the Kentucky Derby and second behind Revolutionary in the Louisiana Derby, a race in which Departing finished third.

Santa Anita Derby winner Goldencents, 17th in the Kentucky Derby, is scheduled to work Monday morning at Pimlico with regular jockey Kevin Krigger in the saddle.

Awaiting to put in his final Preakness workout is Itsmyluckyday. Trained by Ed Plesa Jr., the colt was scratched from a Saturday workout because of a wet track at Monmouth Park.

"The track was hard," Plesa said. "We're going to try tomorrow (Sunday) and see what happens.

"I don't know that he needs to work, to be honest with you, but he's feeling so darn good. I feel it would help him. Sometimes they can have too much energy."

Itsmyluckyday, owned by Plesa's wife Laurie and Trilogy Stable, finished 15th in the Kentucky Derby after getting second to Orb in the Florida Derby. He began the year with wins in the Gulfstream Park Derby and Holy Bull Stakes.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has scheduled Oxbow to have a workout Monday at Churchill. Lukas will also start Will Take Charge and Titletown Five in the Preakness. The trio will van to Baltimore early Tuesday morning.

Also scheduled to work Monday at Churchill is Sunland Derby champ Govenor Charlie, trained by Bob Baffert for Mike Pegram.

Vyjack will be a last minute entry or scratch for the Preakness, according to trainer Rudy Rodriguez.

"We're going to wait until the last minute," Rodriguez said. "It may be as late as Wednesday before they take entries. We'll take a look, see what's going on and then make a final decision."