Lost Derby in Mud to Sunday Silence : Easy Goer Hopes for Dry Run

Having done it once already this week, trainer Shug McGaughey and Easy Goer will be trying to dodge the rain the rest of the way to the Preakness.

“We’ve got our fingers crossed,” McGaughey said Tuesday after arriving at Pimlico. “We’ve been told the weather is supposed to clear. We’re looking for a good, fast track. This track has always been a fast-drying track. With all things being equal, we’re looking to turn the tables.”

Sunday Silence beat heavily favored Easy Goer by 2 1/2 lengths in the Kentucky Derby, but a muddy race track is thought to have compromised Easy Goer’s chances.

“What I’ve tried to do is not make excuses, but look for an explanation,” McGaughey said. “But all I can go on is that both of the races he hasn’t run well the track was wet. Every other race, he’s won easy and he ran fast, except the day of the Wood Memorial. . . .

“We came to run in the Preakness and we’re going to run. I’m not closing the door if the track is off but that is something I’ll have to discuss with Mr. (Ogden) Phipps (the colt’s owner).”

McGaughey has shown an ability to dodge the wet weather with Easy Goer. The colt’s final workout at Belmont Park earlier this week ended less than an hour before rains inundated the track.

“We got really lucky because . . . when I was driving to work it was raining as hard as it could rain,” McGaughey said. “I wanted to go out early because I knew the forecast. A half hour later the track was a sea of mud.”

McGaughey said if the rain keeps up, he will enter Awe Inspiring in Saturday’s Preakness with Easy Goer.

Sunday Silence, who went to the race track Tuesday for the first time in two days, returned today and again galloped 1 1/2 miles for the second test of his injured foot.

The Kentucky Derby winner also galloped 1 1/2 miles Tuesday and showed no signs of being bothered by his bruised right front foot. Trainer Charlie Whittingham plans to work the colt a half-mile on Thursday.

Whittingham said Sunday Silence was 100% after today’s gallop.