War Pass To Race in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 5

Posted on Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

Three weeks after War Pass finished last in the Tampa Bay Derby following 5 front-running victories, horse trainer Nick Zito sends out one of his Kentucky Derby contenders for owner Robert LaPenta in the $750,000 Wood Memorial (gr. I) at New York’s Aqueduct Race Track on Saturday, April 5.

Aqueduct’s Wood Memorial is one of the major prep races leading to the 2008 Kentucky Derby. The field of the 84th running of the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial with jockeys and starters carrying 123 pounds:

  1. Texas Wildcatter under jockey Eibar Coa
  2. Spurrier under jockey Stewart Elliott
  3. Court Vision under jockey Garrett Gomez
  4. First Commandment under jockey Michael Luzzi
  5. War Pass under jockey Cornelio Velasquez
  6. Roman Emperor under jockey Jeremy Rose
  7. Giant Moon under jockey Jorge Chavez
  8. Tale of Ekati under jockey Edgar Prado
  9. Inner Light under jockey Charles Lopez
  10. Anak Nakal under jockey Alan Garcia

In his 2008 debut, War Pass could not have won any easier or looked any better. Running in a hand-picked allowance spot at Gulfstream Park on February 24th, the gifted colt blew away four rivals in what essentially turned out to be a paid workout. What happened in his next start stumped many students of the game, including his Hall of Fame trainer, Nick Zito.

Sent off the 1-20 favorite in the Tampa Bay Derby, War Pass stopped badly in the stretch after he was bumped at the start and could not make the lead. In the end, he was beaten 23 1/4 lengths in a last-place effort.

“For whatever reason, he just didn’t show up,” Zito explained the humbling loss. “You want to be confident and draw a line through the Tampa race.”

War Pass had his only work between the Tampa Bay Derby and the Wood Memorial on March 27th, going a half-mile in :47 2/5 at Palm Meadows in Florida.

“His work last week was great,” said Zito. “From what I can see, he’s going to put in a good effort.”

With a forecast for heavy rain Friday, War Pass could make his third start over a wet track. To this point he is 2-for-2 over non-fast surfaces, including his Juvenile triumph at Monmouth last fall. If he gets a wet track Saturday and comes away from the gate cleanly, it could spell big trouble for the other nine horses in the Wood.

“I’m apprehensive, excited, happy — and cautious,” Zito said. “I’m a fan, too, and I want to see a horse like War Pass run big. I always have confidence when I have War Pass.”

Cornelio Velasquez will ride War Pass from post five. Zito’s other starter in the race, longshot Anak Nakal, will break from post 10 with Alan Garcia. Anak Nakal will be equipped with blinkers.

With War Pass and several other Wood Memorial contenders coming off sub-par efforts, this race could be a good spot for trainer Todd Pletcher to strike at a price. Pletcher has Gotham Stakes runner-up Texas Wildcatter and allowance winner Spurrier going in the Wood.

Over a sloppy track in a foggy Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct, Texas Wildcatter emerged from the murkiness with a clear lead, only to be nailed at the wire by Visionaire. Although it was a tough beat, horse trainer Todd Pletcher was happy to see the son of 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos run the best race of his career.

“We put blinkers on him for the Gotham and that really made a difference,” Pletcher said. “He lost focus on the far turn of the Whirlaway, so we thought the blinkers would help.”

Texas Wildcatter has now put three solid races together. With only $50,000 in graded stakes earnings, he’ll need to run well in the Wood to have enough earnings to get him into the 2008 Kentucky Derby.

“He’s improved his performance with each race and part of that is due to maturity,” Todd Pletcher said. “He showed he belongs with these the last time.”

Texas Wildcatter will break from the rail with Eibar Coa. His stablemate, Spurrier, will break right to his outside with Stewart Elliott.

“This is a real big step up for Spurrier, but he’s also improved with blinkers,” Pletcher said. “I’m interested to see where he fits.”

Like Zito and Pletcher, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will also have two in the Wood Memorial. Court Vision and Inner Light will be coupled as they are both owned by IEAH Stables.

Court Vision won the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) over the Wood Memorial distance and Aqueduct’s main track last fall. His lone start of 2008 was a third-place finish behind Cool Coal Man in the Fountain of Youth February 24th.

“It was his first race back and he ran well, considering he was on a speed-favoring racetrack,” Mott said. “He was pretty far back, and he wasn’t going to make up any kind of ground on that track.”

Inner Light, who like Court Vision is owned by IEAH Stable and WinStar Farm, is a son of Songandaprayer who won a one-mile Gulfstream Park allowance on March 7.

“We’ve kind of looked at the Wood for awhile for Inner Light and we decided to give him a chance to play the game,” horse trainer Bill Mott said. “He’s always been overanxious, but he seemed to settle much better in his last race. Will he handle two turns? We don’t know for sure, but he seems he is heading in the right direction.”

Tale of Ekati, last year’s Futurity winner at Belmont Park, home of the third and last jewel of the Triple Crown, the 2008 Belmont Stakes, will be making his second start of 2008. He made his seasonal debut March 8th at Fair Grounds finishing a non-threatening sixth in the Louisiana Derby.

“He ran alright,” horse trainer Barclay Tagg said of the Louisiana Derby. “His head was turned at the start, so he got away from the gate bad and that ruined his chances.”

Three other horses that competed over the inner track this winter complete the Wood Memorial field.

Giant Moon suffered his first defeat in the Gotham Stakes with an uncharacteristically bad effort over the sloppy track. Essentially eased in the Gotham, Giant Moon should be the one closest to War Pass early on.

Roman Emperor was beaten by Giant Moon in the Count Fleet and finished fourth in the Gotham. He is by 2004 Wood Memorial winner Empire Maker.

The rank outsider in the Wood Memorial will be First Commandment, who comes off an entry-level allowance win for New York-breds.

The Wood Memorial will be race nine of 11 in Aqueduct’s April 5 horse racing program with a 5:15 p.m. EDT post.

www.nyra.com

"War Pass To Race in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 5" was posted on Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 at 8:57 pm and is filed under Aqueduct, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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