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‘The Race Will Do The Deciding’: Undefeated, Untested Prevalence Headed To Wood Memorial

Godolphin's promising sophomore colt Prevalence will make his first start in a Kentucky Derby prep race next weekend, reports the Daily Racing Form. Untested in two career starts, which he won by a combined 11 1/2 lengths, the son of Medaglia d'Oro will show up in the entries for the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

The Wood offers the winner 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Tyler Gaffalione will head north to ride Prevalence, who is conditioned by Brendan Walsh.

“The way we're approaching it is the race will do the deciding not us hoping and thinking and hypothesizing,” Jimmy Bell, president of Godolphin U.S., told DRF. “Hopefully, the result will point you in one direction or another.”

‘Big, Scopey’ Roman Centurian Aimed At Wood Memorial

Trainer Simon Callaghan said Roman Centurian, bred and co-owned by Don Alberto Stable with Qatar Racing Limited, is likely to make his next start in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Wood Memorial card features the first Grade 1 of 2021 on the NYRA circuit in the $300,000 Carter Handicap, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses. The stakes-laden day also features the $250,000 Gazelle at nine furlongs for sophomore fillies offering 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers; the $200,000 Bay Shore, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores; and the $150,000 Excelsior at nine furlongs for older horses.

By Empire Maker and out of the Bernardini mare Spare Change, Roman Centurian finished fourth last out to the victorious Life Is Good in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita Park.

The dark bay colt, a $550,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, breezed back for the first time Thursday at Santa Anita covering a half-mile in 50.40 seconds.

“I think there's a very good chance that we will ship to New York,” said Callaghan. “He breezed very well yesterday and we were happy. He'll breeze again next week and it's looking more likely that we'll come.”

After a debut fourth sprinting in a maiden event won by Life Is Good in November at Del Mar, Roman Centurian stretched out to 1 1/16-miles for his second-out graduation on Jan. 3 at Santa Anita. He exited that effort to finish a good second in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita, rallying from last-of-6 to miss by a neck to Medina Spirit in the 1 1/16-mile test.

Roman Centurian is currently 33rd on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 9 points. Callaghan said a trip to New York for the Wood Memorial, which offers 100-40-20-10 points to the top-four finishers, will suit the improving horse more than a return engagement with Life Is Good in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

“Life is Good is looking like a pretty formidable horse right now and I think that the track at Aqueduct will be more to his liking,” said Callaghan. “We've always liked him. He made good progress from his maiden win to running a close second to Medina Spirit.

“I don't think the race set up very well for him last time,” added Callaghan. “We're hoping that with another race under his belt and moving to a track that we think will be more to his liking, that we'll see a good performance to move him forward.”

The Callaghan-trained Firing Line, who was also a runner-up in the Robert B. Lewis, finished second in the 2015 Kentucky Derby. The veteran conditioner, a native of Great Britain who set up his stable in Southern California in 2009, said Roman Centurian should appreciate the added distance in the nine-furlong Wood Memorial.

“He's a big, scopey two-turn kind of horse,” said Callaghan. “I think he's got some progression in him. He's a nice framed horse who is going to strengthen as the year goes on. We're hoping we can have a good 3-year-old year with him.”

A winner with 2-of-3 starters at the Big A, Callaghan scored with Taris in the 2015 Grade 3 Go for Wand and with Out of The Flames in the 2018 Mizdirection. He sent out Americanize to finish fourth in the 2017 Grade 1 Cigar Mile.

Callaghan said a local rider is likely to pick up the Wood mount aboard Roman Centurian.

A probable list of Wood Memorial contenders includes Brooklyn Strong (Daniel Velazquez), Crowded Trade (Chad Brown), Dynamic One (Todd Pletcher), Nicky the Vest (Jonathan Thomas), Overtook (Pletcher), Risk Taking (Brown), and Weyburn (Jimmy Jerkens). Also under consideration are Prevalence (Brendan Walsh) and Rombauer (Michael McCarthy).

The post ‘Big, Scopey’ Roman Centurian Aimed At Wood Memorial appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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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Why Do Horses Chew More Wood In Winter?

Even horses that don't typically chew wood may start nibbling wooden surfaces in winter, when temperatures drop. Studies have shown that some horses may chew on trees and fences in cold wet weather, perhaps because of an instinctive urge to ingest more roughage as temperatures dip.

Horses that pick up this habit should be evaluated by a veterinarian to rule out any nutritional deficiencies. If nothing is found to be wrong, wood chewing is considered a behavioral issue and these steps can be considered to correct it:

Eliminate access to wood sources. Though replacing fences and cutting down trees usually isn't an option, stringing an electrified wire inside the top board of fencing can prevent horses from chewing on fence boards.
Offer more hay. Providing more forage is the most effective option to stop wood chewing. Using a slow feeder can make hay last longer.
Make wood taste bad. Coating wood surfaces with a product that makes it taste bad discourages horses from chewing.
Increase exercise. Encouraging horses to move more, whether in a planned exercise regimen or on more-casual rides, can burn up extra energy that may go toward chewing.