National Treasure Gallops Monday Morning At Pimlico | 2023 Preakness Stakes News

Shortly after sunrise, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s National Treasure got a feel for the surface and a look around Pimlico Race Course Monday morning when he went out for his routine daily exercise at 6 a.m.

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National Treasure and three other Baffert stakes horses shipped to Baltimore from California Saturday for the 148th Preakness Stakes (G1) and the festival of supporting stakes.

As is typically the case, Baffert’s longtime assistant Jimmy Barnes supervised the trip and is managing the operation at the stakes barn at Pimlico. 

“It’s our first day to hit the track,” Barnes said. “We walked yesterday. Just galloped about a mile and quarter.”

Barnes said that the horses left Baffert’s barn at Santa Anita at 3 a.m. and were flown from Los Angeles to Newark, N.J. The final leg to Pimlico was a four-hour van ride. 

“That’s why we came on Saturday because it’s a long ship,” he said. “It all went smooth and we’re looking forward to Saturday.”

National Treasure, a son of Quality Road, is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan.

He has one win in five career starts but has three graded-stakes placings.

In his last race, he was fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (G1).