Hit Show, the Grade 3 Withers Stakes winner, will return to New York for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 8 at Aqueduct, trainer Brad Cox confirmed Wednesday. In the days after he won the Withers, Hit Show shipped to Fair Grounds to train while Cox and owner Gary West were contemplating whether to run back in the Wood or perhaps go to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Arkansas Derby on April 1 at Oaklawn Park, where the horse won an allowance race in February. “We feel like the race in New York might be a little more in his favor as opposed to Arkansas,” Cox said. “He ran really well there, and he’s doing really well now. I’m excited about running him.” Manny Franco, aboard for the Withers victory, rides Hit Show back in the Wood. :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play with FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic. Cox will also run Slip Mahoney, the Grade 3 Gotham runner-up, in the Wood. Cox said that Dylan Davis, aboard for Slip Mahoney’s first three starts including a maiden victory in January, would be on that horse for the Wood. Trevor McCarthy rode Slip Mahoney in the Gotham. Cox said if the decision is made to scratch Tapit’s Conquest for Saturday’s Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby, the Wood is likely Plan B. Tapit’s Conquest finished fourth in the Grade 2 Risen Star in his most recent start. “If we don’t run Saturday, we’ll turn our attention to the Wood,” Cox said. Raise Cain likely for Blue Grass Raise Cain, the Grade 3 Gotham winner at Aqueduct on March 4, is more likely to make his next start in the Blue Grass on April 8 as opposed to returning to New York for the Grade 2 Wood Memorial the same day, trainer Ben Colebrook said. Colebrook had previously said that he would look at the makeup of both races before deciding. However, Colebrook has learned that Jose Lezcano, who rode Raise Cain in the Gotham, is going to ride Arctic Arrogance in the Wood for his main client Linda Rice, so Colebrook will need a new rider for the horse’s next race. “Right now, we’re leaning a little more to the Blue Grass because we don’t have a rider in New York,” Colebrook said. “We’ll have to see who’s where. It’s a crazy day.” Raise Cain is based at Keeneland, where on Wednesday he worked a half-mile in 49 seconds over the main track. That was his first work since the Gotham. Blazing Sevens to Blue Grass Blazing Sevens, the Grade 1 Champagne winner who finished eighth in his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park on March 4, has been re-routed from the Wood Memorial to the Blue Grass for his next start, trainer Chad Brown said Wednesday. Brown, via text, indicated the ability to get Irad Ortiz Jr. to ride Blazing Sevens in the Blue Grass was one reason for the change. It was unclear who would have ridden him in the Wood. “Also, I like being in Kentucky already if he qualifies for the Derby, less overall shipping,” Brown wrote. Brown also wrote that Blazing Sevens will be equipped with blinkers for the Blue Grass. Blazing Sevens is training at Payson Park in Florida. Since 2016, Brown has started five horses in the Blue Grass, winning the race with Zandon (2022) and Good Magic (2018) and finishing second with Highly Motivated (2021), Practical Joke (2017), and My Man Sam (2016). :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.