NEWS
War Pass takes shot at redemption in Wood Memorial
Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2008 4:52 PM
WAR PASS
Sarah Andrew/Equi-Photo
by Jeff Lowe
Three weeks removed from an inexplicable defeat, War Pass will get the chance to answer a slew of questions on Saturday in the $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) at Aqueduct.
The leader at every call in his five previous races, War Pass never reached the front in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and came up shockingly empty in finishing last as the 1-to-20 favorite.
No clear explanation surfaced, and War Pass never presented his trainer, Nick Zito, with a reason not to continue.
“For whatever reason, he just didn’t show up,” Zito said. “You want to be confident and draw a line through the Tampa race. I’m apprehensive, excited, happy—and cautious. 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.”
War Pass reassured Zito with a half-mile breeze in :47.40 on March 27 at Palm Meadows Training Center in his only workout since the Tampa Bay Derby.
“His work last week was great,” said Zito. “From what I can see, he’s going to put in a good effort.”
War Pass is one of four top two-year-olds from 2007 who go into the Wood Memorial in need of some rebuilding, with the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented Yum! Brands (G1) five weeks away.
Court Vision will return to the site and distance of his victory in the Remsen Stakes (G2) on November 24. In his only subsequent start, the Gulch colt finished a distant third to Cool Coal Man in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) on February 24 at Gulfstream Park.
Tale of Ekati, who won the Futurity Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park, will bid for improvement after finishing third in the Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 8 at Fair Grounds in his first start of the year.
“He ran all right,” trainer Barclay Tagg said. “His head was turned at the start, so he got away from the gate bad and that ruined his chances.”
Anak Nakal, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) in November, will get one last shot to put himself into the Derby mix for Zito. The Victory Gallop colt finished eighth in the Fountain of Youth and seventh in the Rebel Stakes (G2) on March 15 at Oaklawn Park. He will add blinkers in the Wood Memorial.
Texas Wildcatter may have the best recent form coming into the Wood Memorial. He finished second by a nose to Visionaire in the Gotham Stakes (G3) on March 8 at Aqueduct following a third-place finish in the Whirlaway Stakes on February 2.
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:
1. Texas Wildcatter (Monarchos), Eibar Coa, 123, Todd A. Pletcher;
2. Spurrier (Dixieland Band), Stewart Elliott, 123, Todd A. Pletcher;
3. Court Vision (Gulch), Garrett K. Gomez, 123, William I. Mott;
4. First Commandment (Deputy Commander), Michael J. Luzzi, 123, Carlos F. Martin;
5. War Pass (Cherokee Run), Cornelio H. Velasquez, 123, Nicholas P. Zito;
6. Roman Emperor (Empire Maker), Jeremy Rose, 123, Steve Klesaris;
7. Giant Moon (Giant's Causeway), Jorge F. Chavez, 123, Richard E. Schosberg;
8. Tale of Ekati (Tale of the Cat), Edgar S. Prado, 123, Barclay Tagg;
9. Inner Light (Songandaprayer), Charles C. Lopez, 123, William I. Mott; and
10. Anak Nakal (Victory Gallop), Alan Garcia, 123, Nicholas P. Zito.
