Enticed works, Solomini '90 percent' in for Wood Memorial
Grade 3 Gotham winner Enticed wrapped up his major preparations for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack with a half-mile breeze on Friday at trainer Kiaran McLaughlin's winter base at Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida.
The Godolphin homebred breezed in company with 3-year-old maiden First Commander, who broke off along the rail a few lengths ahead of Enticed. Enticed stayed to the outside of his workmate and hit the wire on near-even terms to complete the move in 49.95 seconds.
"He worked very well, 49 and four [seconds]," said McLaughlin. "He's not a real strong work horse, he just does it, but he went fine. He was happy after the work and as long as he comes out well tomorrow, all systems are a go and he'll fly out Wednesday."
As a 2-year-old, Enticed finished third in the Grade 1 Hopeful in his stakes debut and closed out his juvenile campaign with a head victory in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club in November at Churchill Downs.
He finished a well-beaten fourth in his seasonal return in the Grade 2 Holy Bull on February 3 at Gulfstream Park before returning to New York for the Gotham, where he turned back to a one-turn mile and took advantage of his outside post to power home a clear winner and punch his ticket to the Kentucky Derby. Enticed currently sits third on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 63 points.
"It's a tough race, especially if [Bob] Baffert brings Solomini," McLaughlin said. "We had a perfect draw last time out and he was able to stay in the clear. Hopefully, we draw well and he runs well. He's been training well and a mile and an eighth shouldn't be a problem."
Junior Alvarado, who has been aboard for all three of the colt's career wins, will have the return call in the Wood Memorial, which is also expected to attract Grade 1 Champagne winner Firenze Fire, whose expected appearance in Aqueduct's premier 3-year-old race would increase the Wood purse to $1 million.
As part of the official Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial is the final stop in New York en route to the "Run for the Roses" on May 5 at Churchill. With 170 total qualifying points up for grabs, the Wood is worth 100 qualifying points to the winner, 40 points to second, 20 to third and 10 to fourth.
Owned by Zayat Stables, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derek Smith, the chestnut son of Curlin looks to make his second start of the year following a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Rebel on March 17 at Oaklawn Park, where he withstood a rough trip to cross the wire 3 ½ lengths behind Magnum Moon.
Zayat said the final decision on Solomini's final Kentucky Derby prep will be made following a scheduled work on Monday, after Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert returns to California.
"Bob is in Dubai at the moment," Zayat said. "He's planning to breeze Solomini, McKinzie, and Justify when he gets back. I'm almost 90 percent sure we're coming to the Wood. I know that Justify's connections want to run at Oaklawn, and the other connections are from California, so they'll be at Santa Anita, and I know we're not going to run against each other. I know there was a chance to run at Keeneland, but I don't want to run there."
The Wood Memorial would be the sixth career start for Solomini, who posted back-to-back seconds in the Grade 1 FrontRunner and Breeders' Cup Juvenile last fall.
The final race of his 2-year-old campaign came in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity in December, where a three-wide closing bid to score his first Grade 1 win was erased by disqualification for bumping in the stretch that advanced Baffert's other trainee McKinzie to the winners' circle.
Solomini kicked off 2018 with a second-place finish in the Rebel, and has not been off the board through five starts earning $652,000 thus far. A start on April 7 at the Big A would give Zayat a chance to win his second Wood Memorial after he teamed with trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez to win with Eskendreya in 2010.
"As long as they come out of the breeze safe and well, we know that nothing is certain in racing, but I'd like to think we're going to the Wood," he said. "We did well with Eskendreya, and I'd like to win this race again."
"No decision has been made as of yet," Dilger said. "We'll get together this weekend, and I'll know on Monday where we're going."
The chestnut Overanalyze colt switched to dirt in his fourth start and won the $250,000 Sleepy Hollow by a nose at 19-1 on Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park. He then returned to miss by a nose in the $100,000 Damon Runyon at Aqueduct, his first start of the year.
Evaluator's first three starts were on the grass after he debuted to win by four lengths at Saratoga. Two seventh-place finishes followed in both the Grade 3 With Anticipation and the Grade 3 Pilgrim, but the versatile colt has shown ability on both courses.
"He's a good grass horse too," said Dilger. "I think because he was in against open company, he was kind of thrown into the deep end in those races, but he's a good dirt horse too, that's for sure."