Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan settles in at Pimlico ahead of the Preakness

BALTIMORE (AP) — Mystik Dan exerted so much energy winning the Kentucky Derby by a nose in the race’s closest finish in 75 years that there was no guarantee his camp would send him to the Preakness to chase the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

After a bit of rest, the decision was made to go to Baltimore, and after a 12-hour van ride from Louisville, Mystik Dan has settled in nicely at Pimlico Race Course ahead of the the Preakness on Saturday.

“Most horses after a race if they extend themselves a little bit, they’re a little quiet and listless just like if you went and ran a marathon today, tomorrow you wouldn’t be jumping up at 5:30 and going and running again,” assistant trainer Ray Bryner said Tuesday. “You want to kind of ease back into it. After two or three days at Churchill, (trainer Kenny McPeek) said that he was right back in the feed tub and doing things right, back to his normal self, and that’s why he made the decision to go ahead and give him another opportunity.”