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Nine in Line for Competitive Wood

Realistic cases can be made for six or seven of the nine 3-year-old males signed on for Saturday's GII Wood Memorial S. as the New York staple GI Kentucky Derby prep returns with a competitive renewal after a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19.

Given the narrowest of nods on the morning line is Klaravich Stables' Risk Taking (Medaglia d'Oro). Unable to factor in his first two outings, one sprinting on dirt and one routing on yielding turf, the $240,000 Keeneland September buy sprung to life when returned to dirt over Saturday's nine-furlong trip with a clear graduation here Dec. 13. He followed that up with a strong rally to win the local GIII Withers S. Feb. 6.

The waters get significantly deeper in here though, and one need look no further than the presence of Godolphin's undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Prevalence (Medaglia d'Oro) to confirm that. Rocketing away to a devastating 8 1/2-length victory on debut going seven panels Jan. 23 at Gulfstream, the Brendan Walsh trainee stretched out a furlong in an allowance/optional claimer there Mar. 11 and wasn't quite as impressive while still winning by three lengths as a 1-10 favorite.

The first two finishers from the GIII Gotham S. here Mar. 6 return and figure as major players. Dismissed at over 46-1 that day, Chiefswood Stable's homebred Weyburn (Pioneerof the Nile) dug in resolutely through the stretch to just nose out Klaravich Stables' Crowded Trade (More Than Ready). The latter was making just his second career start after graduating on debut when hammered down to even-money over a local six furlongs Jan. 28.

The blue-collar returnee Brooklyn Strong (Wicked Strong) demands attention as well. Bought for just $5,000 as an OBS April juvenile, the gelding debuted a winner against $40,000 maiden claimers at Delaware and has gotten better in every start since, running third in the New York-bred Bertram F. Bongard S. and winning the Empire-bred Sleepy Hollow S. 22 days later before gutting out a score in the track-and-trip GII Remsen S. Dec. 5. Unseen since then, he shows a sharp worktab for trainer Danny Velazquez at his Parx base, including a five-furlong bullet in :59 3/5 (1/16) Mar. 20.

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Overtook Targets Peter Pan

Trainer Todd Pletcher indicated Overtook (Curlin) will make his next start in the May 8 GIII Peter Pan S. at Belmont Park. Since finishing second behind Risk Taking in the GIII Withers S. Feb. 6 at Aqueduct, the son of Grade I winner Got Lucky (A.P. Indy) has registered two easy half-mile works at Pletcher's Palm Beach Downs base, including the latest a a four-furlong move in :50.75 Mar. 6. The Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith runner is expected to return the work tab this weekend.

“We just got a little off schedule with him,” Pletcher said. “He's training every day at Palm Beach and he'll breeze this weekend. We'd like to get him ready for the Peter Pan.”

Pletcher indicated a strong effort in the Peter Pan, a nine-furlong test for sophomores, would likely make the June 5 GI Belmont S. the next goal.

“That's what we're hoping,” Pletcher said. “If we have a good performance in the Peter Pan it could propel him into the Belmont.”

A $1 million purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Overtook was a third out maiden winner Dec. 20 at Aqueduct before finishing a late-closing second in the Withers.

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Brown Looking for Same ‘Results’ in Gazelle

Klaravich Stables' lightly-raced Search Results (Flatter) will try to make it two stakes wins in three career starts and punch her ticket to the GI Kentucky Oaks for trainer Chad Brown in the GIII Gazelle S. Saturday at Aqueduct.

Unveiled Jan. 3 going six furlongs at Gulfstream, the $310,000 Keeneland September buy ran away to a four-length victory. Stepped up and stretched out to a mile in the local Busher Invitational S. Mar. 6, the dark bay responded with a hard-fought half-length victory over the more seasoned Miss Brazil (Palace Malice), earning a field-best 84 Beyer. The race was further validated when distant fifth-place finisher Make Mischief (Into Mischief) came back to annex a Big A allowance Sunday. Though she draws widest in the eight-horse field, Search Results figures to be able to work out a trip with little speed signed on to her inside.

The morning-line second choice also comes from the Brown barn in The Grass Is Blue (Broken Vow). A nonthreatening third behind her stablemate in the Busher, she previously captured the track-and-trip Busanda S. and was a fast-closing third in the Anne Arundel S. at Laurel. Mia Martina (Not This Time) has an upset chance in her dirt debut. Bought into by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners after a 21-1 debut upset on the Gulfstream West lawn, the bay scored a good-looking allowance success first out for Graham Motion Jan. 10 at Gulfstream and closed from way back to be fourth in the GIII Florida Oaks last out Mar. 6 at Tampa.

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Wood Memorial Challenge Set for Saturday

Saturday's Wood Memorial Challenge is the second-of-six $3,000 NYRA Bets live-money handicapping challenges offered in 2021.The Wood Memorial challenge, featuring a $3,000 buy-in, offers an array of prizes including a cash prize pool, one seeded $10,000 Belmont Stakes Contest Seat, and two 2022 National Handicapping Championship [NHC] seats. NYRA Handicapping Challenge entrants will be able to register and compete online in all contests via NYRA Bets. The leaderboard for all of these contests will be posted throughout the day on America's Day at the Races, produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports. Registration closes for Saturday's Wood Memorial Challenge Friday, Ap. 2 at 5 p.m.

To enter and play online, contestants must be registered NYRA Bets account holders. For more info., visit www.NYRA.com/challenge.

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