Uncle Heavy after his win in the Withers. (Susie Raisher)
Rosario Has Mount on Just Steel; Jaime Torres on Seize the Grey
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
BALTIMORE, Md.— When it was time to make a decision, trainer Butch Reid Jr. said that the key elements pointed to a run for Uncle Heavy in the 149th Preakness Stakes (G1) on May 18 at Pimlico Race Course. The Pennsylvania-bred son of Social Inclusion will be the first Preakness starter for the veteran trainer based at Parx in Philadelphia.
After it was clear that Uncle Heavy would not have enough qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby (G1), Reid considered the $200,000 Peter Pan (G3) on Saturday at Aqueduct or the $2 million Preakness for Uncle Heavy’s next start. In his most recent outing, Uncle Heavy was fifth after a troubled trip in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct April 6.
“We were looking at both of them. In the end it was the horse that prevailed,” Reid said. “He’s doing so well and had a tremendous breeze last week, and we’re going to have another shorter one this week. He’s training well. He looks well. This looks like the time to take a shot. And it looks like the race could set up for him a little bit. There’s a fair amount of speed in there, and he’s a closer, so we decided to go ahead and take a shot with him.”
Uncle Heavy, named for Reid’s brother Mark, a retired trainer, has won three of five starts. He signaled that he had the ability to compete at the Triple Crown series level with his victory in the Withers (G3) on Feb. 3. However, many things went wrong for Uncle Heavy in the Wood. Most notable was at the top of the stretch while making a sustained run from far back, he was near Deposition when he fell, dropping the rider.
Uncle Heavy gallops out after his win in the Withers (Susie Raisher)
“Yeah, it was really tough,” Reid said. “When we drew and I saw the 13th hole I knew it was going to make things difficult for him that he was going to get fanned out wide, which he did. And then unfortunately, the horse fell next to him. That kind of put him and the jock off their game a little bit. Who’s to say that he should have won, but he certainly should have had a better trip than that.”
Reid, 67, said the colt will work Saturday and will ship to Pimlico on Tuesday.
Rosario Has Mount on Just Steel; Jaime Torres on Seize the Grey
Torres aboard Seize the Grey after the Pat Day Mile (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas told a national conference call Thursday afternoon that Joel Rosario will take over riding Just Steel in the May 18 Preakness (G1) at Pimlico Race Course. Just Steel was part of a swift pace in the Kentucky Derby (G1) before tiring to 17th under Keith Asmussen, who had finished second on the colt in the Arkansas Derby (G1) to earn his first Kentucky Derby mount. Lukas said Jaime Torres retains the mount on Seize the Grey after winning the Pat Day Mile (G2) aboard the gray colt.
Rosario, in the 2024 class of inductees into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame, has never won the Preakness but has been second four times, including in 2022 with Epicenter.
Lukas said he’s still looking for a rider for Oaklawn Park’s Honeybee (G3) winner Lemon Muffin in the May 17 Black-Eyed Susan (G2). He said he offered the mount back to Asmussen, who had been aboard for the filly’s last three races, including the Honeybee, but that the jockey opted to ride at Churchill Downs that day for his father, trainer Steve Asmussen.
As the conference call was ending, Lukas asked moderator Jim Gluckson the Preakness status of Mystik Dan. Told that Derby-winning trainer Kenny McPeek was going to take his time making a decision, Lukas quipped: “Tell him to make a decision about Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.”
Entries are taken Monday for the Preakness.
Editor’s Notes on Uncle Heavy:
Michael Milam and LC Racing’s Uncle Heavy goes for his first Grade 1 win May 18 in the Preakness Stakes for trainer Butch Reid.
Reid is no stranger to running an underdog in a Triple Crown race having slayed the Kentucky Derby with Rich Strike.
A late foal born on May 2, the Pennsylvania-bred Social Inclusion colt was bred by Barbara Reid, Butch’s wife. His dam, Expect Wonderful hails from the Tiznow line through her sire Tiz Wonderful.
Uncle Heavy already has a graded stakes win on his resume, the Grade 3 Withers.
Breaking his maiden by a neck at six furlongs on debut at Parx October 23, 2023, the bay colt came off the pace to take control at the half mile and dueled Twilight Dancer to the finish.
On a fast track going seven panels Uncle Heavy would meet up with Twilight Dancer again in the Pennsylvania Nursery Nov. 28 but with different results. While Twilight Dancer, again, finished second, this time by a nose, it was not to Uncle Heavy as he was sellback finishing fifth.
In the aptly named Wait For It Stakes two days past Christmas, Uncle Heavy broke a step slowly, advanced very wide on the final turn, angled inside through the stretch to collar the pacesetter and edged off driving by 1-1/4 lengths.
This time the colt was stretching out to one mile seventy yards on a rainy “good” sealed track.
Reid gave the colt a few months off to mature.
Uncle Heavy made his first sophomore start Feb. 3 in the Grade 3 Withers, 1-1/8 miles on a muddy sealed track.
This time the colt faced a more formidable field including multiple stakes winner El Grande O, Albaugh Family Stables’ up and coming Lightline, future Kentucky Derby starter Society Man and Mission Beach recently transferred from the West Coast into the barn of Brittany Russell.
The win would be by a nose but this time it was Uncle Heavy’s nose besting El Grande O.
Uncle Heavy would then dive into the deep end April 6 in the Grade 3 Wood Memorial facing Society Man, Deterministic and Resilience, again at 1-1/8 miles. (El Grande O was a vet scratch on the day)
Two words describe the colt’s trip: Slow and wide.
Uncle Heavy broke a half-step slow again, went three wide on the first turn, was urged along towards the rear, traveled four then five wide on the far turn. He then went seven wide while brushing with an opponent into upper stretch. The colt was taken in hand by his long-time rider Mychel Sanchez while next to the fallen foe inside the three-sixteenths pole but lacked the needed response and finished fifth.
Resilience and Society Man finished one, two respectively earning points for their Derby start.
If Uncle Heavy can get a good start out of the gate and keep from going wide he just might have a chance to be a major contender in the Preakness. And, looks like he doesn’t mind a little mud.
Join the Coach at the Alibi Breakfast Thursday, May 16 to ‘Boast, Toast and Roast!’
The Alibi Breakfast features an annual gathering of horsemen and media to celebrate the Preakness and to solicit interesting race predications. It has also become an opportunity for the Maryland Jockey Club to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the racing industry. Click for tickets.
