Wood Memorial Is Do or Die for War Pass

By: Greg Melikov

The 84th running of the Wood Memorial should answer the question about War Pass: Is the last place runner in the Tampa Bay Derby back on track to the Churchill Downs?

The son of Cherokee Run breezed four furlongs in a snappy 47 2/5 at Palm Meadows on March 27. It was the fastest of 11 at the distance on the South Florida training track.

That’s encouraging since the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champ on March 15 was restless in the gate, broke fourth, failed to get the lead, was bumped on both turns at Tampa Bay Downs, finished seventh and came out of the 1 1/16 miles with cuts on his left leg.

How War Pass runs will dictate whether trainer Nick Zito sends him to Louisville. The 1 1/8-mile Wood at Aqueduct won’t be a gimme since several promising 3-year-olds also have high hopes of using the $750,000 race as a springboard to Louisville.

One thing in his favor – he may be the lone speed horse and should get and uncontested lead if he’s as fit as workouts indicate.

Chief challengers include Court Vision, who won two graded stakes last year – the Remsen at Aqueduct and the Iroquois at Churchill Downs. The son of Gulch came from way off the pace during a terrible trip to finish third in the Fountain of Youth (FOY) at Gulfstream on Feb. 24.

The Bill Mott trainee breezed five furlongs in 1:04 at South Florida’s Payson Park on March 25.

The field includes three horses that ran in the Gotham on March 8: runner-up Texas Wildcatter, who worked four furlongs in 48 4/5 at Belmont Park on Sunday; Roman Emperor, fourth; and Giant Moon, ninth and last.

Tale of Ekati hopes to improve on his sixth-place finish behind Pyro in the Louisiana Derby March 8. The son of Tale of the Cat drilled four furlongs from the gate in 47 2/5 at Palm Meadows on March 25.

Twenty horses that ran in the Wood were victorious in the Kentucky Derby since Gallant Fox took the inaugural en route to the ‘30 Triple Crown. Since ‘75, five winners and two runners-up in Aqueduct’s premier race have scored in Louisville.

Two other prominent preps at 1 1/8 miles also will be staged Saturday, including the $500,000 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne.

The main contenders are undefeated Denis of Cork, who captured his third straight on Feb. 18 winning the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, and Visionaire, triumphant in the Gotham on a sloppy track.

Denis of Cork breezed five furlongs in 59 2/5 at Churchill Downs on Sunday. Visionaire breezed four furlongs in 49 3/5 at Palm Meadows on March 28.

Contender Golden Spikes, fifth in the FOY, zipped 48 4/5 handily for four furlongs on a sloppy Calder Race Course surface Monday.

War Emblem captured this race in ‘02 and followed with a victory at Louisville.

The $750,000 Santa Anita will decide the best sophomore on the West Coast. The top trio is Georgia Boy, Colonel John and El Gato Malo.

Georgie Boy, winner of the San Felipe and San Vicente stakes, recorded a bullet 1:12 for six furlongs at Santa Anita on March 29. The son of Tribal Rule closed out a successful juvenile campaign with a victory in the Del Mar Futurity.

Sham winner Colonel John worked six furlongs in 1:13 at Hollywood Park on March 25 while the runner-up, El Gato Malo, breezed five furlongs four days later in a snappy 59 seconds, the fastest of 53 works.

Yankee Bravo, who captured the California Derby at Golden Gate and later ran third in Louisiana Derby, went six furlongs handily in 1:13 at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Others in the field also worked five furlongs at the track: Coast Guard, 58 4/5; Polonius, 1:00 3/5; and Indian Sun, 1:00 4/5.

The last Santa Anita Derby winner to triumph at Louisville was Sunday Silence in ‘89. Two runner-ups scored: Real Quiet in ‘98 and Silver Charm in ‘97. A pair of fourth-place finishers surprised: Giacomo paid $120.60 in ‘05 while Charismatic returned $64.60 in ‘99.

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    Greg Melikov, a native Chicagoan and retired South Florida newspaperman who resides in Greater San Antonio, has been handicapping and writing about thoroughbreds for decades. His articles and columns appear globally in print and online, including on his own site: www.horsingaround.info. He became a racing fan at 13 when he saw 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation whip 20 older horses at old Arlington Park. He can be contacted at gmelikov@satx.rr.com.

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