El Kabeir to face Frosted but not Ocean Knight

El Kabeir, the winner of the Jerome and Gotham stakes this winter in New York, is expected to face only five horses in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Entries for the 1 1/8-mile Wood will be taken and post positions assigned on Wednesday.

Ocean Knight was withdrawn from consideration for the Wood after a so-so workout Monday at Palm Meadows in Florida. Thus, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin plans to run just Frosted, whose only victory came over Aqueduct’s main track, a surface on which he also finished second in the Grade 2 Remsen last fall.

Meanwhile, Terry Finley, president of West Point Thoroughbreds, confirmed Monday that Toasting Master, fourth in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, will run in the Wood.

Todd Pletcher, the winner of three of the last five Wood Memorials, will enter the uncoupled entry of Far From Over, the winner of the Grade 3 Withers in February, and Daredevil, the winner of the Grade 1 Champagne last fall at Belmont.

Tencendur, fifth in the Gotham, is also expected to enter.

On Monday, El Kabeir worked five furlongs in 1:01.12 over Belmont’s training track. Working by himself under exercise rider Simon Harris, El Kabeir was timed by Belmont clockers in fractions of 25.80 and 49.40 seconds, and he galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.76.

“He worked really, really well, looks ready, cooled out great,” trainer John Terranova said. “Everybody’s pleased – especially the horse.”

On Sunday at the Palm Meadows training center, Frosted worked five furlongs 1:00.25, getting his final quarter in 24.50 seconds under exercise rider Rob Massey.

Following his fourth in the Fountain of Youth on Feb. 21, Frosted underwent a minor throat operation that cut back a muscle near the soft palate. The procedure is designed to help a horse from displacing his soft palate and inhibiting his breathing. McLaughlin doesn’t know for sure that Frosted displaced in the Fountain of Youth, but he hopes the procedure removes any chance of him doing it in the Wood.

McLaughlin is hoping a stronger workout schedule, a return to Aqueduct, the procedure, and a change of riders to Joel Rosario will have Frosted ready to deliver a peak performance in the Wood.

McLaughlin said he watched the replay of the Fountain of Youth dozens of times. Turning into the stretch, Frosted seemed on his way to victory. He was beaten 4 3/4 lengths.

“Did he pull himself up when he got to the lead? We worked him behind by two horses, and he didn’t pull himself up,” McLaughlin said. “Did he displace? Don’t know. Let’s do this to make sure it doesn’t happen. Did he struggle with the track? Yes. So, let’s go to New York, where he didn’t struggle with the track. Now, we’re changing jockeys also because Joel was here to work him and loved him. So, we’ve taken everything out of the equation that we have control of.”

McLaughlin said his only concern is the prospect of a sloppy track because Frosted has not run over one before.

McLaughlin was considering also running Classy Class in the Wood. But he and owner Everett Dobson decided to send Classy Class, the third-place finisher in the Gotham, to Saturday’s Blue Grass.

On Monday, Ocean Knight worked five furlongs in 1:00.97 in company with another horse. But McLaughlin said he and owner Stonestreet Stables have decided to wait to run Ocean Knight back. He will not be pointed to a Kentucky Derby prep race.

On Sunday, Daredevil worked four furlongs in 48.85 seconds over the Belmont training track in preparation for the Wood. Tencendur worked five furlongs in 1:02.11 at Belmont.

The Wood will be the centerpiece of a 12-race card that will include three other graded stakes.

The $100,000 Danger’s Hour will not be carded because the turf course will not be ready to be used this weekend, according to New York Racing Association officials.