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Remsen Winner Brooklyn Strong On Target For Wood Memorial

Trainer Daniel Velazquez wanted to point Brooklyn Strong to last weekend's Grade 3 Gotham at the Big A, but after a minor illness and lack of works due to inclement weather at his Parx Racing base, the New York-bred colt is on target for the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 3 at Aqueduct.

On Saturday, Brooklyn Strong posted his third breeze since February 26, covering five-eighths in 1:01.13 on Saturday at Parx.

Velazquez was not on hand for the breeze after incurring a lacerated liver and torn bicep earlier Saturday morning in a training accident at the Bensalem, Pa., oval. The conditioner said he expects to be released from the hospital Sunday evening.

“He went by himself from the pole. Hopefully, we can hit one work a week up to the Wood,” said Velazquez of Brooklyn Strong's breeze.

Owned by Mark Schwartz, the Wicked Strong bay is out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Riviera Chic. Bred in the Empire State by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan, Brooklyn Strong was purchased for $5,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training.

A winner at first asking in a one-mile maiden claimer in September at Delaware Park, Brooklyn Strong made his next two starts against state-breds at Belmont finishing third in the seven-furlong Bertram F. Bongard before capturing the one-turn mile Sleepy Hollow.

Brooklyn Strong stretched out to nine-furlongs on December 5 in the Grade 2 Remsen at the Big A and bested Ten for Ten by a neck to garner 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. A good result in the Wood, which offers 100-40-20-10 qualifying points, would put Brooklyn Strong in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May.

“We know he can get the nine furlongs, I just want to make sure that he's ready,” said Velazquez. “We have another three weeks before the Wood and if we can get all the works in without interruption, I know we'll be ready.”

Velazquez said he does not have a rider lined up yet for the Wood. Joel Rosario was in the irons for the Remsen score while Jose Ortiz had the call in the Sleepy Hollow.

New York-bred sophomore filly Laobanonprayer, owned and trained by Velazquez, finished a disappointing fourth last out in the $250,000 Busher Invitational, an open one-turn mile on March 6 at the Big A.

With Big A winter meet leading rider Kendrick Carmouche up, Laobanonaprayer settled into a pocket trip in fourth but could not gain ground during the stretch run in which Search Results overtook the pacesetting Miss Brazil to earn the win.

“The race didn't set up well for her,” said Velazquez. “It was a dead track and the pace was extremely slow in front of her. It wasn't just that race in particular, every race was slow and the horses weren't coming back. Kendrick said she felt good and she fired, but the pace makes the race.

“We're going back to the drawing board with her. Maybe we'll just keep her in the New York-bred races,” added Velazquez. “She heads back to the track tomorrow for the first time after she ran and I'll know more after that.”

Bred in New York by Christina Deronda, the talented bay is by Laoban and out of the Raffie's Majesty mare Raffie's Chance. She was purchased for $15,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

Laobanonaprayer kicked off a memorable day for Velazquez on Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park when capturing the Maid of the Mist to provide the conditioner his first career stakes win. Brooklyn Strong followed up one race later by winning the Sleepy Hollow.

The next likely open-company stakes spot on the NYRA calendar for Laobanonaprayer is the nine-furlong Grade 2, $250,000 Gazelle on April 3.

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Brooklyn Strong Works for Wood

Mark Schwartz's Brooklyn Strong (Wicked Strong), off since winning the GII Remsen S. last December, tuned up for a start in the Apr. 3 GII Wood Memorial with a five-furlong work in 1:01.13 (3/13) at Parx Saturday.

“He went by himself from the pole. Hopefully, we can hit one work a week up to the Wood,” said trainer Daniel Velazquez, who wasn't on hand for the drill after being hospitalized with a lacerated liver and torn bicep suffered during a training accident earlier Saturday morning.

Velazquez had hoped to start Brooklyn Strong in last Saturday's GIII Gotham S., but missed the race after a minor illness and lack of works due to inclement weather.

His win in the nine-furlong Remsen last year earned Brooklyn Strong 10 qualifying points to the GI Kentucky Derby and the Wood Memorial offers an additional 100-40-20-10 qualifying points.

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Prevalence on Target for Derby Prep

Godolphin's Prevalence (Medaglia d'Oro), who followed a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Jan. 23 with a one-mile allowance tally in Hallandale last Thursday, could make his next start in a GI Kentucky Derby prep, with the Apr. 3 GII Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland the same day, and the Apr. 10 GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park all in play.

“His maiden win told us something, his allowance win told us even more and his next race will decide where we go from there. Each race is its own entity,” Jimmy Bell, President of Godolphin's North American division, told the NYRA notes team. “We'll all be curious to see what his best distance is. He showed a nice step up from seven-eighths to a mile.”

Of the colt's possible next start, Bell added, “It becomes a question of where his energy level is and it comes down to a timing thing. His past races gave him some good experiences and when asked, he responded professionally.”

Godolphin's Lake Avenue (Tapit), winner of last week's Heavenly Prize S., could return to Aqueduct for the Apr. 2 GIII Distaff S., according to Bell. The 4-year-old filly won the 2019 GII Demoiselle S., but was winless in four starts last season. She is now two-for-two in 2021 and has impressed connections with a new ability to settle off the pace.

“In her last two races she showed different dimensions where she can break, settle and monitor the situation from off the pace. She got in a good position in both races and when the jockey said, 'Go,' she responded,” Bell said. “Her last two races really gave us a lot of confidence moving forward. We were a little uncertain with her, but she just gave us two really good performances.”

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Pletcher Targeting Wood Memorial With Maiden Winner Dynamic One, Withers Runner-Up Overtook

Trainer Todd Pletcher shipped Dynamic One to New York from his winter division at Palm Beach Downs hoping for a performance worthy of pointing for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 3, and the Union Rags colt delivered with a 5 ¼-length maiden score going 1 1/8 miles on Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The nine-furlong Wood Memorial is the final local prep for the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs, offering 100-40-20-10 points to the top-four finishers.

Owned by Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, Dynamic One tracked a leisurely pace from second, assumed command outside the quarter-pole and powered home a decisive winner while registering a 79 Beyer Speed Figure in his fourth-out graduation.

Dynamic One has kept quality company, having finishing behind subsequent Grade 3 Gotham winner Weyburn in his November debut at the Big A, where he was a distant ninth as the beaten favorite. He shipped to Gulfstream for his following two starts at 1 1/16-miles, which included a runner-up effort to eventual dual graded stakes-winner Greatest Honour on December 26.

“We were hoping for that type of effort,” Pletcher said. “He ran a good second at Gulfstream to Greatest Honour. We were unfortunate to draw the nine and eleven post in his last couple of starts at Gulfstream and it can be hard going a mile and a sixteenth from there. The intention was to see if he could earn his way into the Wood, and that's what he did.”

Bred in Kentucky by co-owner Phipps Stable, Dynamic One is out of the Smart Strike mare Beat the Drums. His respective second and fourth dam are champions Storm Flag Flying and Personal Ensign. Dynamic One was a $725,000 purchase from the Claiborne Farm consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Pletcher will also be represented in the Wood Memorial by Grade 3 Withers runner-up Overtook, who is also being prepared at Palm Beach Downs.

Owned by Repole, and St. Elias Stable with Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Overtook finished behind eventual graded stakes-placed Nova Rags and stablemate Known Agenda in his first two starts before rallying from 10 lengths off the pace to graduate at third asking going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct on December 20.

“He's on target for the Wood also,” Pletcher said. “There's a lot of options for a horse like him this time of year and we'll play everything by ear, but right now the goal is the Wood. He's trained excellent since the Withers.”

Also purchased form the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Overtook was a $1 million acquisition from the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency consignment and is by multiple champion producer Curlin out of the Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Got Lucky. He is a direct descendant of prestigious broodmares Numbered Account and La Troienne.

Pletcher seeks a sixth Wood victory having sent out Vino Rosso [2018], Outwork [2016], Verrazanno [2013], Gemologist [2012] and Eskendereya [2010] to wins in the prestigious race.

Pletcher also added that St. Elias Stable's Known Agenda is on target for the Grade 1, $750,000 Florida Derby on March 27 at Gulfstream Park and will breeze at Palm Beach Downs on Saturday in preparation for the event.

Known Agenda, third in the Grade 2 Remsen in December at the Big A, finished fifth as the favorite in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis in February at Tampa Bay Downs. The chestnut added blinkers when stretching out to nine furlongs in an optional-claiming event at Gulfstream on February 26 and romped to an 11-length score.

“He'll breeze tomorrow morning with the Florida Derby in mind,” Pletcher said. “We added blinkers to him last time and that really seems to get his mind into the game.”

A Kentucky homebred, Known Agenda also is by Curlin and out of Grade 1-winner Byrama.

Shadwell Stable's unbeaten graded stakes-winner Malathaat is nearing her return to action. She was last seen winning the Grade 2 Demoiselle on December 5 over a sloppy main track at the Big A.

Pletcher said that the Curlin bay filly out of Grade 1-winner Dreaming of Julia could return in either the Grade 2, $200,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 27 or the Grade 1, $400,000 Ashland on April 3 at Keeneland.

“It will depend on how she breezes these next couple of weeks,” said Pletcher.

After giving Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez his 2,000th Belmont Park victory in her October 9 debut, Malathaat was an easy winner of the one-mile Tempted on November 6 at Aqueduct en route to the Demoiselle. Her last work was a five-furlong move at Palm Beach Downs on March 6, completed in 1:01.89.

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