Wicked Strong experiments on turf

ELMONT, N.Y. – Samraat, who on Saturday is making his first start since last June, suffered his first defeat when he ran second to Wicked Strong in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial in April 2014. Wicked Strong and Samraat finished fourth and fifth in that year’s Kentucky Derby.

Wicked Strong, whose only win since the Wood Memorial came in last year’s Jim Dandy Stakes, will try turf next in the $150,000 Forbidden Apple Stakes on July 11 at Belmont Park. Wicked Strong finished fifth in the Metropolitan Handicap in his most recent start. He worked five furlongs in 1:00.10 over the Belmont turf last Saturday, the second-fastest of 23 works at the distance.

Jerkens said he thought Wicked Strong handled the surface well.

“I thought it was time to see if he liked it, shake him up a little bit,” trainer Jimmy Jerkens said. “It’s good timing where the race is, and we can go back to the dirt in a month. We can keep him going and see if he likes the turf at the same time.”

Jerkens said Wicked Strong could go back to dirt in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga on Aug. 8.

Meanwhile, Jerkens said he kept V. E. Day out of Saturday’s Suburban Handicap because the horse had coughed a couple of times earlier in the week. V. E. Day, who beat Wicked Strong by a nose in last year’s Travers, could run next in the Whitney.