El Areeb breezes half-mile for Wood Memorial

El Areeb and the older stakes mare Winter concluded an extended gallop with a half-mile breeze Wednesday at Laurel Park as trainer Cal Lynch continues to point him to the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 8.

El Areeb won the Grade 3 Jerome and Grade 3 Withers over the inner track at Aqueduct this winter. He had his four-race win streak broken in his last start, when he finished third in the Grade 3 Gotham after getting caught in a pace duel.

On Wednesday, El Areeb, on the outside, and Winter, along the rail, went 1 1/8 miles together and were timed for their final half-mile in 51.60 seconds. The work was similar to what they did in company March 17.

Last Thursday, Lynch worked El Areeb behind Winter and a 4-year-old, Vorticity, to get him used to relaxing off horses.

Trevor McCarthy, who rides both El Areeb and Winter, was aboard El Areeb for his work a week ago but Wednesday was on Winter, who is scheduled to start in the Grade 3, $200,000 Top Flight Invitational on Sunday at Aqueduct.

Winter has won three straight races, including the Nellie Morse and Maryland Racing Media stakes.

Charlie Lynch, Cal Lynch’s son and assistant trainer, was aboard El Areeb on Wednesday. He was happy with the work.

“We loved the way he worked today,” Charlie Lynch said. “He was pulling me all the way around there, so we’re really happy with that. My dad had a really big smile on his face when we got back, so that’s a good sign, usually.”

Cal Lynch said he planned to give El Areeb a final workout for the Wood next Tuesday.

A field of seven is currently expected for the $750,000 Wood Memorial, a 1 1/8-mile race that will offer 170 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby to the top four finishers on a 100-40-20-10 basis. El Areeb has 30 points, 12th on the qualifying list, from his victories in the Jerome and Withers.

:: ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays, and analysis

The Wood field is expected to include either One Liner, winner of the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, or Battalion Runner from the barn of Todd Pletcher; El Areeb; the Graham Motion-trained Irish War Cry, winner of the Holy Bull; Remsen winner Mo Town, who is conditioned by Tony Dutrow; Cloud Computing, Stretch’s Stone, and True Timber.