Friesan Fire Ready for Preakness

by Kim Thomas

FRIESAN FIRE and Kentucky Oaks winner and super-girl, RACHEL ALEXANDRA were all the buzz in workouts this week at Pimlico. Although he grabbed a quarter and bled after the Derby, the word is that he's all healed up and ready to go.

It's hard for me to consider him as a real contender, though, since FRIESAN FIRE finished 18th out of 19 horses in the Kentucky Derby on May 2. He will have to beat the boys and The Girl today to give his trainer what a lot of folks think is his due. Jones trained two second place Derby finisher, filly EIGHT BELLES (*tear*) last year and HARD SPUN the year before.

Photo of Friesan Fire courtesy of Photos by Z

FRIESAN FIRE (son of A.P. INDY, out of the group-winning Australian mare BOLLINGER) won the Grade I Louisiana Derby and has earned over $600,000 and some experts believe he just may be the horse to bring the Blackeyed Susans to Larry Jones. Jockey Gabriel Saez will be aboard this evening for the Preakness.