A. P.'s Secret, Skippylongstocking could use Wood as Derby springboard
With White Abarrio’s victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is assured of having one runner in this year’s Kentucky Derby. On Saturday, in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, Joseph will see if he can add to his roster for the May 7 Derby at Churchill Downs.
Joseph will send out A. P.’s Secret and Skippylongstocking in the Wood, a race that offers 170 qualifying points (100-40-20-10) to its top four finishers toward the Derby. Neither A. P.’s Secret nor Skippylongstocking has Derby points, but a top-two finish by either would qualify them for the race.
A. P.’s Secret comes out of a seventh-place finish in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream on March 5. Down the backstretch, he was part of a five-way scrimmage for the lead. Approaching the quarter pole, A. P.’s Secret was bumped by In Due Time, which ultimately caused an incident in which both High Oak and Galt unseated their riders. Meanwhile, A. P.’s Secret was basically done by that point and was not persevered with to the wire by Tyler Gaffalione.
Joseph said that A. P.’s Secret was forced to move early and Gaffalione told him the horse was being clipped from behind.
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Joseph said that going into the Fountain of Youth, he had judged A. P.’s Secret as being “pretty close” in talent to White Abarrio, who enters the Kentucky Derby off victories in the Holy Bull and Florida Derby.
“That’s the reason for giving him one more chance,” Joseph said.
On Sunday, at Gulfstream Park, A. P.’s Secret worked a half-mile in 48.90 seconds by himself over the main track. He got his final quarter in 23.43 seconds.
Skippylongstocking is coming out of a first-level allowance win going nine furlongs at Gulfstream on March 2. He took advantage of a wickedly fast early pace to close from 9 1/2 lengths back and won by 3 3/4 lengths. That was his second win from eight starts.
“He’s seasoned; if that’s what you need to be on the Derby trail, he’s seasoned,” Joseph said. “If he runs similar to last time, I would say he has a chance at finishing in the top three and picking up points.”
On Saturday, at Palm Meadows, Skippylongstocking worked five furlongs in 1:00.46.
Both of Joseph’s horses were expected to van from Florida to New York on Tuesday.
Manny Franco is scheduled to ride A. P.’s Secret while Junior Alvarado has the mount on Skippylongstocking.
As of Sunday, a field of eight looked likely for the Wood Memorial, a race that has not produced a Kentucky Derby winner since Funny Cide in 2003.
Mo Donegal, last December’s Grade 2 Remsen winner, Early Voting, the Grade 3 Withers winner, Morello, the Grade 3 Gotham winner, and Barese, the undefeated two-time New York-bred stakes winner, head the field.
Todd Pletcher, who trains Mo Donegal, also plans to run Golden Code, third in the Gotham, and Long Term, second in all four career starts, in the Wood.
Pletcher has won the Wood six times including last year, when he ran one-two in the race with Bourbonic (72-1) and Dynamic One.
Entries will be taken and post positions assigned for the Wood on Wednesday. The Wood will be part of a Saturday card that includes the Grade 1 Carter, Grade 3 Gazelle, Grade 3 Bay Shore, Grade 3 Distaff, and the listed $100,000 Danger’s Hour, the latter on turf.