BALTIMORE – Super Quick, who crushed her foes by 14 1/4 lengths in the Grade 3, $150,000 Allaire duPont Distaff on Friday at Pimlico, will attempt to keep rolling off that career-best performance as she will next target the Grade 2, $350,000 Fleur de Lis Stakes on July 2 at Churchill Downs.

"That was kind of the goal going into” Friday, trainer Norm Casse said. "We were hoping she would run well, and then we could point her to something like that."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rich Strike was sent through his first breeze since his monumental upset of the Kentucky Derby when going a purposeful half-mile in 47.20 seconds Saturday morning over a fast Churchill Downs surface.

Owner Rick Dawson was in from Oklahoma to watch the work alongside trainer Eric Reed and jockey Sonny Leon from Section 321 in the Churchill grandstand. Rich Strike was ridden by Gabriel Lagunes in the solo drill when breaking off well before the half-mile pole over a fast track.

Trevor McCarthy will be off his mounts at Belmont Park on Saturday due to soreness in his lower back after being unseated at the start of Friday’s fifth race at Belmont.

McCarthy was named to ride all 11 races Saturday at Belmont.

“He just didn’t feel like he’d be able to give 100 percent,” Joe Migliore, McCarthy’s agent, said Saturday morning. “He’ll give it a try hopefully tomorrow, if not next week for sure.”

McCarthy is named on five horses Sunday at Belmont.

BALTIMORE – While all was quiet on the Preakness front Saturday morning, Mr Phil and Scarabea, were among the key scratches out of stakes on the undercard Saturday at Pimlico.

Mr Phil, the co-second choice at 3-1 and one of the bevy of speed horses in the six-furlong Maryland Sprint, scratched to run in an allowance race Sunday at Belmont Park, according to trainer Rob Atras.

The scratch of Mr Phil leaves a field of six in the Maryland Sprint with Disco Pharoah (5-2) and Jaxon Traveler (3-1) expected to be among the public choices.

BALTIMORE – Kentucky Derby runner-up Epicenter remained the Preakness Stakes favorite in early wagering Friday for Saturday's middle jewel of the Triple Crown.

Advance wagering for the Preakness began when the windows opened for the 14-race Friday card at Pimlico. Epicenter, who Pimlico oddsmaker Keith Feustle made the 6-5 morning-line favorite at the post position draw on Monday, remained at 6-5 about 6:30 p.m. Friday, following the last race of the day.

BALTIMORE – Kentucky Derby runner-up Epicenter remained the Preakness Stakes favorite as early wagering numbers began to come in midway through Friday's card at Pimlico.

Advance wagering for the Preakness began when the windows opened for the Friday card. Epicenter, who Pimlico oddsmaker Keith Feustle made the 6-5 morning-line favorite at the post position draw on Monday, had been bet down to 3-5 as of 2:15 p.m. Friday, through six of 14 races on the Friday card.

Brickyard Ride, unbeaten in four stakes this year, worked five furlongs in a rapid 59 seconds at Santa Anita on Friday for an undetermined race later this month.

Brickyard Ride had the fastest of 19 works at the distance.

Jockey Joe Bravo plans to ride at Monmouth Park and other Eastern tracks during the month-long gap between the conclusion of the Santa Anita meeting on June 19 and the start of the Del Mar summer season on July 22.

On Friday, Bravo described the forthcoming trip as a “working vacation,” and a temporary departure from Southern California.

“I’ll definitely be there for the start of Del Mar,” he said.

A last-gasp victory by Cadillac Candy at even-money in the first race Thursday evening at Churchill triggered mainstream sports-media coverage that it would not have otherwise gotten. That’s because the 2-year-old colt represents the first-ever Thoroughbred winner owned by Alex Bregman, the All-Star third baseman for the Houston Astros.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Bregman said in a locker-room interview posted shortly after the race on Twitter. “My whole family is fired up. Going back to when my grandfather used to take me to the races, it’s just exciting.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Cherie DeVaux has set a high bar for herself. A resounding victory by a 4-year-old filly named Bout Time last Sunday on the Churchill Downs turf might have had another trainer speaking in superlatives, but DeVaux took a more clinical approach.

“She’s a nice filly, really pleasant to train,” said DeVaux. “We’ll probably just go back in a ‘two-other-than’ allowance, either here or in New York, depending on what comes up for her.”