Updated news on Preakness hopefuls

Here's the latest on a trio of hopefuls for next Saturday's Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, courtesy of the Churchill Downs publicity crew:

RACHEL ALEXANDRA, PIONEEROF THE NILE GALLOP; PAPA CLEM HEADS EAST -- Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick's Rachel Alexandra galloped once around a sloppy racetrack with exercise rider Dominic Terry up before 6:30 on Saturday morning for trainer Steve Asmussen.

The Kentucky Oaks winner, who would have to be supplemented to next Saturday's Preakness Stakes (Grade I), would be ridden by Calvin Borel if she starts.

The Borel-Asmussen tandem would be seeking their first win together since July 6, 2007, when Borel rode Wundelia to victory at Churchill Downs.

Rachel Alexandra is scheduled to work Sunday or Monday.

A couple of hours after Rachel Alexandra was on the track, Zayat Stables' Pioneerof the Nile galloped a mile and a half.

"He couldn't be doing any better," exercise rider George Alvarez reported after the exercise over a track designated as "muddy" after the morning renovation break.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who was saddling two starters in Saturday's Lone Star Derby (Grade III) in Texas, is expected to return to Louisville on Saturday night.

Pioneerof the Nile may work Monday and is scheduled to ship to Pimlico on Wednesday.

Bo Hirsch's Papa Clem completed the Churchill Downs phase of his Preakness training early Saturday morning by galloping a mile and a half under exercise rider Mundo Gonzalez.

The Gary Stute trainee left Churchill Downs at 10:30 a.m. by van for Pimlico.

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