Laurel Park, Maryland morning routines rarely carry such quiet significance, but on Wednesday, all eyes subtly turned as The Hell We Did stepped onto the track for the first time, beginning his measured build-up toward the 151st Preakness Stakes.
Accompanied by exercise rider and assistant trainer Oscar Rojero, the colt went out on the main track at 7:45 a.m., shortly after the first renovation break. It marked his initial outing since arriving from Keeneland, where he had finished a creditable second in the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes on April 11. The journey, by all accounts, appears to have taken little out of him.
Trainer Todd Fincher, speaking from Kentucky, reported a smooth transition. Rojero, he said, was satisfied with how the horse handled both the travel and the track, noting his energy levels remained high enough to justify a steady gallop rather than anything more restrained.
The Hell We Did is expected to breeze on Saturday morning, the first of two planned workouts at Laurel in the lead-up to the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. His most recent timed effort came at Keeneland on April 24, when he covered a half-mile in 48 seconds with apparent ease.
A bay son of Authentic, whose own three-year-old campaign in 2020 produced victories in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), The Hell We Did brings both pedigree and progression into the Preakness picture. He is out of Rose’s Desert, a mare who enjoyed a productive racing career and has proven equally influential in the breeding shed.
His lineage carries further weight through his half-brother Senor Buscador, a multiple stakes winner whose résumé includes top-level success on the international stage. Like his sibling, The Hell We Did has demonstrated adaptability, with the Preakness set to be his fifth start at a different racecourse.
Fincher drew comparisons between the two, describing both as physically imposing and mentally composed. While similarities in temperament are evident, he suggested The Hell We Did may possess a slightly smoother way of moving, particularly in how he covers the ground.
The colt’s race record reflects both promise and consistency. He has alternated between wins and second-place finishes across four starts, scoring on debut at Remington Park and later adding an allowance victory at Sunland Park. His runner-up efforts came in the Zia Park Juvenile and most recently the Lexington, his first attempt around two turns, where he was partnered by Luis Saez.
Rose’s Desert, bred in New Mexico by the late Joe Peacock Sr., won 10 of her 15 starts, including seven stakes races. Now managed by the next generation of the Peacock family, her legacy continues to unfold, with five stakes winners already produced from her progeny.
Fincher reflected warmly on the mare’s influence, noting the consistency and durability she has passed on. Her offspring, he said, have carried the stable across multiple circuits, offering both opportunity and success along the way.
While The Hell We Did was the first out-of-town contender to arrive at Laurel, he is not alone in early preparations. Taj Mahal, trained locally by Brittany Russell, also took to the track Wednesday morning, completing a mile-and-a-half gallop under exercise rider Alex Beatia.
An unbeaten colt in three starts, Taj Mahal secured his place in the Preakness field with victory in the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel earlier this month. His steady progression this season, all achieved at the Maryland venue, positions him as a familiar and potentially formidable presence when the field assembles.
Russell indicated that a weekend breeze is also in the plans for Taj Mahal, with final timing dependent on her travel schedule. The coming days will provide clearer indications of readiness for both runners as anticipation builds toward the Preakness Stakes 2026 preview and the race itself.
For now, The Hell We Did appears to have settled in well, ticking the early boxes in what is shaping up to be a carefully managed campaign toward one of American racing’s defining contests.
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