Pneumatic Trainers Put Focus On Preakness Stakes, Not Kentucky Derby

• Pneumatic’s connections have stated that the horse will be missing the Kentucky Derby to have more time to train for the Preakness Stakes.
• The horse (+3300) does not have short odds to win the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Pneumatic, the Pegasus Stakes winner, has been said to skip the coming Kentucky Derby and wait to race in the Preakness Stakes.

The 3-year-old horse has enough points to enter the starting gate for the September 5 Kentucky Derby but instead, his trainer plans to have the horse wait until October 3 to race again.

“He’s a big, heavy-framed horse, I don’t think anyone thinks a three-week turnaround was optimal for him,” said David Fiske, racing manager for owner Ron Winchell. “Plan A would be to try and get him ready for Baltimore.”

Without racing in the Kentucky Derby, it will give Pneumatic seven weeks to fully focus and prepare for the Preakness which should improve his odds of placing high in the race.

Legal sports betting sites have already posted odds showing the horse falling in towards the end of the pack for chances of winning the Kentucky Derby.

On June 20, Pneumatic received fourth place in the G1 Belmont Stakes to the Kentucky Derby outright favorite Tiz the Law. Pneumatic trainer Steve Asmussen has noted that they may reconsider forgoing the race if top contenders such as Tiz the Law were to defect.

Pneumatic has won three of his five lifetime starts, finished third in the G3 Matt Winn Stakes, and has earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure for his Pegasus victory.

Though the horse could put out a decent performance in the Kentucky Derby, horse racing bettors can probably put money on waiting to see Pneumatic at Pimlico for the Preakness Stakes.

News tags: David Fiske | Horse Racing | Kentucky Derby | Pegasus Stakes | Pneumatic | Preakness Stakes | Ron Winchell | Steve Asmussen