The Hell We Did has First Gallop Wednesday at Laurel Park

Lexington (G3) Runner-Up Scheduled to Have Saturday Breeze
Tesio Winner Taj Mahal Gallops Ahead of Planned Sunday Work

LAUREL, MD – Peacock Family Racing Stable’s The Hell We Did got his first look at Laurel Park Wednesday morning ahead of his next scheduled start in the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, May 16.

Under exercise rider and assistant trainer Oscar Rojero, The Hell We Did went out on the main track at 7:45 a.m. following the first renovation break. He arrived at Laurel shortly before sunrise Tuesday morning from Keeneland, where he most recently ran second in the April 11 Lexington (G3).

“[Rojero] said everything went good. He traveled fine and it didn’t take much out of him, so he was very happy,” trainer Todd Fincher said by phone from Kentucky. “He didn’t have anything negative to say at all. He said he had plenty of energy, so he went ahead and galloped him.”

Fincher said The Hell We Did remains on course to breeze Saturday morning, the first of two scheduled works at Laurel for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. He went a half-mile in 48 seconds April 24 at Keeneland before shipping to Laurel.

The Hell We Did is a bay son of Authentic, whose 3-year-old champion and Horse of the Year campaign in 2020 included wins in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and a second to filly Swiss Skydiver the Preakness.

Out of the Desert God mare Rose’s Desert he is a half-brother to Senor Buscador, a five-time stakes winner of nearly $13 million in purses from 23 starts including the 2024 Saudi Cup (G1). The Hell We Did will be making his fifth start at as many racetracks in the Preakness.

“He’s just like his brother. I don’t know how many different tracks his brother ran at, but he’s handled everything really good,” Fincher said. “They’re both big horses. I think The Hell We Did is a smoother traveler. As far as hitting the ground I think he travels a little bit better.

“[They’re] both big, strong horses and they’ve got good minds. They’ve always traveled really good as far as track to track and things like that,” he added. “They don’t really have any quirks about them. They’re easy to ride.”

The Hell We Did has had four different jockeys in his races, alternating wins in his debut at Remington Park and an open allowance victory in mid-March at Sunland Park with seconds in last fall’s Zia Park Juvenile and the Lexington, his two-turn debut where he was ridden by Luis Saez. Saez will ride Commandment in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.

Rose’s Desert was a New Mexico homebred of the late Joe Peacock Sr., whose son now runs the family stable. She won 10 of 15 starts including seven stakes from 2010-13 and has produced five black-type stakes winners from seven runners.

“I trained the mama and she was great to us. Every one of her babies has been good and they’ve taken us to different tracks and countries,” Fincher said. “It’s just been awesome.”

The Hell We Did is the first out-of-town horse to arrive in Maryland for the Preakness, but not the only one on the grounds. Taj Mahal went out at 6:15 Wednesday morning under exercise rider Alex Beatia for Laurel-based trainer Brittany Russell.

SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan’s Taj Mahal earned automatic entry in the Preakness for his victory in Laurel’s 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio April 18. He is undefeated in three starts, all this year at Laurel, including the one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 21.

“He galloped a mile and a half today and we’ll plan on breezing him this weekend,” Russell said. “As of now I’ll probably do something with him Sunday because I am traveling back on Saturday and I want to see him breeze.”