Wood-bound Enticed saving his best for race day

Turning into the stretch at the Palm Meadows training center Friday morning, Enticed was about a length behind his stablemate First Commander, a maiden, in what was to be Enticed’s final workout before the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 7 at Aqueduct.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, watching from the clocker’s stand, said of Enticed, “He’s likely to be second.”

Indeed, Enticed was only able to get within a neck of First Commander at the end of the half-mile work. Enticed was timed in 49.91 seconds.

McLaughlin was undeterred, noting that First Commander “is just a nice work horse, works well.”

Enticed, McLaughlin said, “is fine, worked well.”

“We’ll see where we are tomorrow and fly on Wednesday,” he said.

Enticed will be flying to New York on Wednesday where he will run in the Wood hoping to solidify his credentials for the Kentucky Derby on May 5. Enticed basically clinched his spot in the Derby starting gate with a victory in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes on March 10 at Aqueduct. He had a clean trip that day going a one-turn mile. Now he will be going two turns and 1 1/8 miles.

“The extra eighth of a mile should not be an issue,” McLaughlin said. “There are going to be some new horses in there, a little tougher, so we’ll get a true read where we stand.”

Among the new horses Enticed is expected to meet in the Wood are Solomini, Vino Rosso, and King Zachary. Solomini, second in the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn last out, is expected to have his final breeze Monday at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert. Vino Rosso, fourth in the Tampa Bay Derby, was expected to work Saturday at Palm Beach Downs. King Zachary, a sharp maiden winner going two turns March 18 at Gulfstream, also was expected to work Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Others considered definite for the Wood are Old Time Revival, second to Enticed in the Gotham; Firenze Fire, fourth in the Gotham; Marconi, third in the Withers and fifth in the Fountain of Youth; and Evaluator. California Night, a recent maiden winner, is possible.

On Friday, Marconi worked a half-mile in 49.80 seconds at Palm Beach Downs.

Meanwhile, trainer Ian Wilkes said that Demolition, a recent maiden winner at Tampa, would not run in the Wood and instead be pointed to an allowance race at Keeneland.

“It’s a little over our head,” Wilkes said. “Just be patient, there’ll be plenty of good races later if he develops the way we think.”

Awesome Slew back in Carter

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Last spring, Awesome Slew won the Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland. This spring, Awesome Slew will shoot for higher ground when he makes his 5-year-old debut in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap on April 7 at Aqueduct.

Awesome Slew, a 5-year-old son of Awesome Again, has not run since finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar last fall.

“He’s training as good, if not better, than ever,” trainer Mark Casse said. “He’s a bigger, stronger horse.”

Among those expected for the Carter are Army Mule, Do Share, Fellowship, Great Stuff, and Petrov. Calculator is possible, and trainer Michelle Nevin is expected to run either My Boy Tate or Skyler’s Scramjet.