PREAKNESS : Owners Will Run Summer Squall Despite Bleeding Found in Nostril

Summer Squall won a battle in the Preakness’ war of attrition today when his owners said he would race despite a small amount of blood found in a nostril.

Trainer Neil Howard discovered the blood in Summer Squall’s nose while the Kentucky Derby runner-up was grazing after a morning gallop.

“He had a little trickle after cooling out,” Howard said. “He’s done this before.”

Summer Squall’s 2-year-old campaign was shortened by a hairline fracture of his cannon bone, and he had to stop training for several weeks during the winter when he experienced pulmonary bleeding.

Howard said this was not related to the earlier bleeding.

The trainer was still confident of Summer Squall’s chances despite the bleeding today.

“He’s done it a couple of times,” Howard said. “It’s a three- or four-minute type of thing--nothing to worry about.”

Summer Squall normally runs on the diuretic Lasix, which is used to control bleeding in horses. Cot Campbell, head of the Dogwood Stable syndicate that owns Summer Squall, said the horse did not gallop on Lasix this morning.

Thursday, two Preakness contenders--Pleasant Tap and Champagneforashley--were sidelined by injuries, cutting the field to nine for Saturday’s race. Pleasant Tap, third in the Derby, strained a tendon sheath in his left foreleg, and Champagneforashley, who passed up the Derby, broke a bone in his right front ankle.

Besides Summer Squall, also racing on Lasix are Unbridled, Music Prospector, Land Rush, Fighting Notion and J.R.’s Horizon. Mister Frisky, Kentucky Jazz and Baron de Vaux will run without medication.

Unbridled was the 7-5 early favorite for the 1 3/16-mile race, but the Preakness does not appear to favor his one-run style of coming from off the pace.

Summer Squall, the second choice at 2-1, is likely to be close to the pace, while Mister Frisky, who finished eighth as the Derby favorite, is likely to be on the lead before the race is very old on a track that favors speed.

“On this track speed goes, and it’s bye-bye baby,” said Laz Barrera, Mister Frisky’s trainer.

If that’s so, the question is how it might affect jockey Craig Perret’s strategy with Unbridled. He has been quoted as saying he might have to make adjustments.

In the Derby, Unbridled was able to come from off a very fast pace with a clear run that swept him past Summer Squall in the upper stretch.

Barrera and jockey Gary Stevens would like to dictate a slower pace Saturday.