With an early post for Black-Eyed Susan Day Friday here at Pimlico the track opened for training at 5 a.m. and was scheduled to close at 8:30 in order to groom the track for racing. There was no renovation break so those desiring a fresh track on which to train had to go out early, and that included Kentucky Derby winner Justify, who had his final gallop shortly after 5:30.

Justify jogged the wrong way with the pony after entering the track, then turned around for a gallop of about 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Beto Gomez. He seemed to get over the surface well but who knows what the conditions will be like come Saturday afternoon as it is continuing to rain here and is forecast to do so all day, as well as most of Saturday. It will be an off track.

Sloppy, like at Churchill Downs for the Derby, would be fine, trainer Bob Baffert said. "I don't want it drying out," he added.

D. Wayne Lukas had his runners, Bravazo and Sporting Chance, both jog around the track.

"That's my M.O. the day before a race," said Lukas, who, along with Baffert, does not take his horses to the track on race day.

The track surface on Friday, Lukas said, is "unbelievable," and not in a good way.

"There's tractor ruts," he said. "I'm sure they'll get it figured out."

After his horses trained, Lukas sat at his end of the stakes barn watching the runners cool out. When Justify walked by, he remarked, "This is King Kong. He's different."

Other Preakness training notes from this morning:

Quip jogged and had a light gallop about the same time Justify went out.

Good Magic jogged a mile.

Lone Sailor jogged to the gate, schooled in the gate, then jogged some more.

Tenfold also visited the gate after a jog, then galloped a mile in draw reins.

Diamond King jogged.

--additional reporting by David Grening.