Aqueduct: Noble Moon breezes for Wood
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Jerome Stakes winner Noble Moon continued his preparation for the Grade 1 Wood Memorial on April 5 with a four-furlong workout in 49.44 seconds Thursday morning over the Belmont Park training track. With Irad Ortiz Jr. up, Noble Moon went his first quarter in 24.30 seconds and his second quarter in 25.14 over a stretch that appeared to be on the deep side. Noble Moon galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.12 and six furlongs in 1:18.36.
“I told him if he was having to ask him too much don’t gallop out too much, but if you have horse, I’d like you to gallop out all the way around the turn,” trainer Leah Gyarmati said. “The track was really slow, so I think that’s a pretty good work, especially the way he galloped out.”
Noble Moon has not raced since winning the Jerome on Jan. 4. He has battled issues this winter with both of his front feet. Noble Moon will likely have four more works prior to the Wood.
◗ Irad Ortiz Jr., the leading rider at this meet with 67 winners, will miss Saturday through Monday as he serves a three-day careless riding suspension for an incident in last Saturday’s second race that led to the disqualification of his mount Shipwrecked from first. Rajiv Maragh, cited for careless riding in last Saturday’s final race – which led to the disqualification of his mount Bear’s Spirit from third to fifth – will serve a three day-suspension next Monday, Thursday, and Friday.