Trainer D. Wayne Lukas intends to start the Arrogate horse in the Preakness (G1)

After MyRacehorse's Seize the Grey won the $594,710 Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs as the Kentucky Derby (G1) undercard, the Preakness Stakes (G1) gained a potential starter.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas stated that his vote will determine the next race among the partners of MyRacehorse, a company that offers fractional shares in horses. However, he believes that if the colt does well in the race, the choice will be supported by the public.

"I think that the 680 people will want to vote for that," he said of the Triple Crown's middle jewel. "My vote will be the one that counts, but I'll vote with them. We've got nothing to lose if we stick him in there. And he earned his way to run in the Preakness. He's qualified for it, and he's nominated for it, so why wouldn't we give those people that opportunity. That's what we're getting paid for, to make that many people happy."

Besides, Seize the Grey would have been on the list of colts that are also eligible, Lukas thought about entering the horse in the Kentucky Derby.

"I agonised over running him in the Derby," Lukas noted. "We wanted to put him on the also-eligible and hope for some scratches. That's a negative feeling in a lot of ways because you put them on the also-eligible, and then you hope somebody else has bad luck so you get in. I didn't like that feeling. ... I wish they wouldn't even have that."

Instead, he decided to see the 100th running of the Pat Day Mile for 3-year-olds. "I thought this horse would fit this mile pretty good," he stated.

The grey or roan son of Arrogate out of the Smart Strike mare Smart Shopping recorded his third win and first graded stakes score in nine appearances. This increased the earnings of the $300,000 yearling who was bought at Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale to $619,938. And it was Lukas's fourth victory in the race that was once called the Derby Trial.

After finishing third in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), Seize the Grey entered the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) but came in eighth at Keeneland. Lukas mentioned that Thunder Gulch, the favourite in the 1995 Blue Grass, finished fourth and that he has seen other horses go off form at Keeneland.

"Seize the Grey has trained so well here, I wasn't worried about that," Lukas remarked.

Before starting from post five, Lukas said the race proceeded exactly as he had discussed in the paddock with jockey Jaime Torres. Vlahos, who eventually finished in third place, had the lead for most of the race until the winner passed him near the sixteenth pole. With a speed of 1:35.96, the winning margin was 1 1/4 lengths over the favourite, Nash. Third place went to Vlahos.

"If you'd have stood there with me when I talked to Jaime Torres before the race you'd have thought we saw it already," Lukas stated. "It was exactly like we said. We said stay a lap down, stalk the speed. Don't lose touch with the speed, don't lose touch with the lead. Stay there, and then when we get to the eighth pole or approaching it, go inside-outside and go for it. He rode it right to the letter. I could tell I was loaded around the three-eighths pole," Torres remarked. "He went back into the bridle really strongly and never gave in. What an amazing atmosphere and race to win."

Godolphin's Nash, unable to overtake Seize the Grey in the last stretch, finished second.

Jockey Florent Geroux on Nash stated: “I had a great stalking trip on the outside. I was able to follow the 11 (Vlahos) and it looked like the (eventual winner) had to back out a little bit. Right before the half-mile, I thought I was in a lovely spot. I wish he would have finished a little bit stronger for me because I thought he was there for me pretty much the whole race, but when I asked him to go it took him a little while to get the engine going. I was able to secure second but he really had to fight pretty hard to get that. ... The winner just split horses and was a little bit better than us."

With odds of 9-1, Seize the Grey yielded $20.84 to win the 12-horse field.