Aqueduct notes: Always in a Tiz pointed to Wood Memorial

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Always in a Tiz, who had spent about a month at Oaklawn Park, was held out of last week’s Rebel Stakes because his connections felt he wasn’t quite himself.

Back home in New York, Always in a Tiz showed signs of life Thursday morning when he worked four furlongs in 48.27 seconds over the Belmont Park training track. Working by himself under exercise rider Carl Allsop, Always in a Tiz went his first quarter in 24.11 and his final quarter in 24.16. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.92.

Dominick Schettino, trainer of Always in a Tiz, was pleased with the move and said if the colt works again like that next week he will run in the $1 million Wood Memorial on April 6.

Always in a Tiz worked with blinkers for the second straight time and would wear that equipment in a race for the first time in the Wood if he runs. Schettino also said Calvin Borel, who was going to ride Always in a Tiz in the Rebel, would have the mount in the Wood.

“If he continues to train the way he worked today, he’ll run in the Wood,” Schettino said.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Schettino said that he decided to skip the Rebel because neither he nor Allsop, who was with Always in a Tiz in Arkansas, felt the horse was quite himself before that race.

“He didn’t have that pep in his step,” Allsop said. “He’s a big, playful baby, who loves his job. It wasn’t there and going into a race like that you need to have that. They do try to talk to you.”

Meanwhile, Schettino said that Escapefromreality, second by a neck to Revolutionary in the Withers but ninth in the Gotham, will point to the New York Stallion Series that begins at Belmont on May 5.

Main track will open Wednesday

After being delayed two weeks because of poor weather, the opening of Aqueduct's main track will happen Wednesday with a nine-race card.

All nine races will be contested around one turn, including five races at a mile.

Aqueduct’s main track season will consist of 19 cards through April 21.

◗ Aqueduct will be dark Sunday because of the Palm Sunday holiday. Neither Aqueduct nor Belmont Park will be open for simulcasting. The same protocol will be in place for Easter Sunday.