Aqueduct: In Trouble may run in Louisiana Derby rather than Wood

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though trainer Tony Dutrow was initially planning to bring Gotham Stakes third-place finisher In Trouble back to New York for the Wood Memorial on April 5, he is now giving serious consideration to running him in next Saturday’s Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

Both races are run at 1 1/8 miles, worth $1 million, and offer the same amount of qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby (100-40-20-10) to the first four finishers. The only difference is the Wood is a Grade 1, the Louisiana Derby a Grade 2.

Dutrow said he wants to assess the prospective fields for each race before making a final decision. Entries for the Louisiana Derby are taken on Wednesday, the same day a plane is scheduled to take runners from south Florida to New Orleans. Dutrow said he has a reservation for In Trouble on that flight.

“I want to get him in the race that looks like it’ll be easier to win and I don’t know that right now,” Dutrow said Saturday by phone from Florida.

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

The Wood got a little tougher on Saturday morning when the connections of Social Inclusion, impressive in winning his first two starts, said they were pointing to the Wood. The Wood field includes Remsen Stakes winner Honor Code; Samraat, undefeated winner of the Withers and Gotham; and Uncle Sigh, runner-up in the Withers and Gotham.

Dutrow said those are “four reliable horses; they all come to run. Plus [the Wood] gives you another week to wait around and anything can happen. Anything can happen in 10 minutes.”

In Trouble, who went 2 for 2 last year, ran a solid third in the Gotham, setting the pace before giving way grudgingly along the rail and finishing third, a half-length behind Samraat.

On Saturday, at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida, In Trouble worked five furlongs in 1:00.25. Dutrow called the work “very, very good. Fortunately we’re right where we want to be. Our horse is very good. It doesn’t matter to me, Wood or Louisiana Derby.”

Among those pointing to the Louisiana Derby are Intense Holiday, Albano, and Vicar’s in Trouble – the first three finishers in the Risen Star Stakes.

Samraat, the potential favorite for the Wood Memorial, worked a mile in 1:45.13 Saturday morning at Palm Meadows.

Trainer Rick Violette said the track “was a little bit dry, but he worked terrific.”

Violette said he caught the last three furlongs in “37-and-change.”

As of Saturday, others under consideration for the Wood include Kristo, Tonalist, Kid Cruz, and Noble Moon.