The Hell We Did Arrives Tuesday for 151st Preakness (G1)

Lexington (G3) Runner-Up Scheduled to Work Saturday at Laurel

LAUREL, MD – Peacock Family Racing Stables’ The Hell We Did, runner-up in the April 11 Lexington (G3) at Keeneland, arrived at Laurel Park Tuesday morning for his next assignment in the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1) May 16.

The Hell We Did, a homebred son of 2020 Preakness runner-up and Horse of the Year Authentic, is the first horse to arrive from out of town for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, being hosted at Laurel.

Preakness-bound Taj Mahal, an automatic qualifier for his victory in Laurel’s April 18 Federico Tesio, is based at Laurel with Maryland’s three-time consecutive year-end leading trainer Brittany Russell.

“It looks like he traveled well and settled right in, according to my assistant,” trainer Todd Fincher said. “We’re in Kentucky and it’s harder to find riders since Churchill [Downs began its meet] to work horses and things like that. Instead of moving him twice, to Churchill and again to Maryland, we just made one move.”

The Hell We Did has alternated running first and second through four races, capturing his unveiling last October at Remington Park before a runner-up finish in November’s Zia Park Juvenile. He began this year with a mid-March allowance triumph at Sunland Park and beat all but 32-1 longshot Trendsetter in the 1 1/16-mile Lexington, his two-turn debut.

“He ran a good race. He’d never even had a mile race under his belt,” Fincher said. “His race off the layoff was very easy and it was only six furlongs, so he really needed that. He ran really well. We were happy with the way he ran, but we expect a big jump.”

The Hell We Did is scheduled visit the main track Wednesday morning and have his first of two works Saturday at Laurel under Fincher’s assistant trainer and exercise rider, Oscar Rojero.

“He needs to go out tomorrow. It looks like a lot of rain so maybe we’ll just jog him. We’ll play it by ear. We’re planning on working him Saturday and then Saturday again,” Fincher said. “[Getting in early is] a good advantage as long as he likes it there and everything. I think it’s an advantage for sure.”