NEWS
Triple Crown trail: Like Now, Showing Up out of Wood Memorial
Posted: Thursday, April 06, 2006
Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Like Now will miss the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Aqueduct after developing a fever.
The Florida-bred gelding won the Gotham by a neck over Keyed Entry on March 18 at Aqueduct in his first start around two turns. Like Now also won the six-furlong Fred "Cappy" Capossela Stakes on February 18 at Aqueduct.
"We were really looking to run Like Now back because he was doing so well at Aqueduct and liked it over there," trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said from his barn at Belmont Park. "We don't know what we're going to do now. We'll just play it day by day."
McLaughlin said the options for Like Now include the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) on April 15 at Keeneland Race Course, Coolmore Lexington Stakes (G2) on April 22 at Keeneland, and Withers Stakes (G3) on April 29 at Belmont Park.
In Like Now's place, McLaughlin entered maiden winner Jazil, who was under consideration for the Blue Grass. The Seeking the Gold colt finished seventh in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) on March 4 at Gulfstream Park.
Unbeaten allowance winner Showing Up also will bypass the Wood Memorial due to a foot bruise.
Robin Smullen, the assistant to trainer Barclay Tagg, said the Strategic Mission colt would be considered for either the Blue Grass or Arkansas Derby (G2) on April 15.
