Tue May 13 15:27:11 2008

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Gayego is a go for Preakness

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Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Trainer Paulo Lobo confirmed Tuesday morning that Arkansas Derby winner Gayego will start in the 133rd Preakness Stakes on Saturday. With Gayego now set for the second leg of racing's Triple Crown, there will be 13 starters for the 1 3/16 mile race.

Gayego finished 17th out of 20 in the Kentucky Derby which was won by Big Brown. The colt will be the only three-year-old coming out of the Run for the Roses to face Big Brown at Pimlico.

"He's an extremely good shipper," said Lobo. "He came back very well. He's been eating everything. He's feeling happy."

Gayego has three wins in six lifetime starts for $723,420. Earlier this year he won the San Pedro Stakes and was second in the San Felipe, both at Santa Anita Park.

Mike Smith, who has ridden Gayego in all of his starts, has the return mount for the Preakness. Smith rode Prairie Bayou to victory in 1993.

The current line-up for the Preakness includes Big Brown, Kent Desormeaux; Yankee Bravo, Alex Solis; Macho Again, Julien Leparoux; Tres Borrachos, Tyler Baze; Stevil, John Velazquez; Kentucky Bear, Jamie Theriot; Giant Moon, Ramon Dominguez; Riley Tucker, Edgar Prado; Behindatthebar, David Flores; Icabad Crane, Jeremy Rose; Racecar Rhapsody, Robby Albarado; Gayego, Mike Smith and Hey Byrn, C.C. Lopez.

The weather forecast for Saturday calls for partly sunny skies and a post-time temperature around 65.