Barbaro owners could send Divining Rod to Preakness

The owners of Barbaro could have a horse in this year's Preakness.

Divining Rod, the winner of the Lexington Stakes on Saturday, is being aimed for the May 16 Preakness instead of the Kentucky Derby.

The son of Tapit is owned by Lael Stables, the racing name of owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson, who owned Barbaro. The 2006 Kentucky Derby winner broke down in that year's Preakness and was euthanized in 2007 after a lengthy stay at the New Bolton Center in Chester County.

A three-length winner Saturday at Keeneland, Divining Rod is trained by Arnaud Delacour out of the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md.

"Yes, I'm thinking of the Preakness," Delacour said in a statement released by Pimlico Race Course, where the race is run. "The timing seems right. It's five weeks after the Lexington. We had the Preakness in mind before we entered in the Lexington, hoping he would step up to that caliber of horses. His win in the Lexington was very encouraging. . . . He took back a little bit, just relaxed there and came with a big run in the stretch, so that was pretty exciting."

- Mike Jensen