Napoleon Solo going in Wood Memorial instead of Arkansas Derby
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Napoleon Solo, who was supplemented to and entered in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby, will not run there and instead will be pointed to the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 4 at Aqueduct, owner Al Gold said Monday.
Napoleon Solo won the Grade 1 Champagne at Aqueduct by 6 1/2 lengths last October. He was held out of the Breeders’ Cup in California and spent the winter in South Florida at the Palm Meadows training center. Napoleon Solo made his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park where, after breaking slow, he finished fifth, 11 3/4 lengths behind Commandment.
Gold said after further evaluation and discussion with trainer Chad Summers, the decision was made to point to the Wood.
“We look forward to getting back to the track we had success at,” Gold said.
Napoleon Solo will be part of what is expected to potentially be a full field for the Wood Memorial, a 1 1/8-mile race that offers its top five finishers qualifying points to the Kentucky Derby on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis.
While the Wood did lose a potential starter in Express Kid, whose connections announced over the weekend their intention to run in the Santa Anita Derby, the race could border on drawing the maximum 14 runners. There were 46 3-year-olds nominated to the Wood, with entries to be taken Sunday.
Horses being mentioned for the Wood are Bravaro, Buetane, Civil Liberty, Courting, Creole Chrome, Iron Honor, Napoleon Solo, Ocelli, Ottinho, Red Zone Runner, Right to Party, Steel, Taj Mahal, and Talk to Me Jimmy.
Besides Napoleon Solo, Iron Honor is the only other graded stakes winner in the group. On Saturday morning, Iron Honor worked a half-mile in 49.97 seconds over Belmont’s training track. He went in company with fellow 3-year-old Hedge Ratio, getting his final quarter in 24.82. Ottinho, a well-beaten third in the Withers, worked a half-mile in 48.81 going in company with Schoolyardsuperman. Ottinho, who has been training in blinkers, got his last quarter in 24.67.
On Sunday, Withers Stakes winner Talk to Me Jimmy was credited with a six-furlong workout in 1:16.33, the second straight week in which he worked six furlongs.
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