Making his first appearance on the site of Saturday's Preakness Stakes, the Kentucky Derby winner seemed right at home. He went a leisurely 1 1/2 miles with regular exercise rider Michelle Nevin aboard.

"He went good," trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. said. "I was very happy with his gallop. He was comfortable, cool, relaxed. We're as happy as we can be right now."

Big Brown is the 1-2 favorite from post No. 7 for the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.

"The horse is good, so he leads me where I go, so I'm as cool as I can be," Dutrow said. "There is no way of telling how he'll like it, but he was happy out there. I'm not going to complain if he gets beat because of the track."

Dutrow had expressed past reservations about Pimlico's dirt track, claiming it was too hard. He seemed satisfied Thursday.

"It had a nice little cushion to it," Dutrow said. "You couldn't hear the horses galloping past you. I was pleasantly surprised it had a cushion. I would like a nice, safe track when the horse runs. That's what I'm praying for."

The Big Brown gallop was the focal point of a busy morning as the Preakness tempo picked up. Wednesday morning, only long shots Hey Byrn and Kentucky Bear were there. Big Brown was one of eight Preakness horses to arrive later in the day.