Wood Memorial downgrade may alter trainers' plans

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The downgrading of the Wood Memorial concerns New York horsemen and may have some rethinking plans for their soon-to-be 3-year-olds.

Trainer Tony Dutrow had said in the winner’s circle following Mo Town’s victory in the Remsen Stakes on Nov. 26 that he would like to use the March 4 Gotham and the April 8 Wood Memorial as Mo Town’s path to the Kentucky Derby. At the time, he thought the Wood Memorial was a Grade 1.

Last week, it was announced by the American Graded Stakes Committee that the Wood Memorial and the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland would be Grade 2 races in 2017. The New York Racing Association has not announced the purse for the Wood, which has had a $1 million purse since 2011. Prior to that, the purse was $750,000.

“It’s my opinion that for all they do for racing, New York deserves to have a Grade 1 race approaching the Triple Crown run,” Dutrow said.

The Wood has not produced a top-three finisher in the Kentucky Derby since 2003, when Funny Cide and Empire Maker ran 1-2 in the Derby after Empire Maker and Funny Cide ran 1-2 in the Wood.

The Wood was a Grade 2 from 1995 through 2001. Winners during that time included Unbridled’s Song, Coronado’s Quest, and Fusaichi Pegasus, who in 2000 became the last horse to win both the Wood and Kentucky Derby.

Dutrow, whose Team D Stable still owns a minority interest in Mo Town, said he would speak with the Coolmore connections of Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith about whether to still aim for the Wood or point to a Grade 1 opportunity such as the Florida Derby on April 1.

“I owe it to Coolmore to have that discussion,” Dutrow said.

Mo Town is in light training at the Payson Park training center in Indiantown, Fla.

Kiaran McLaughlin, who won the Wood with Frosted in 2015, trains Takaful, the Remsen third-place finisher who is pointing to the Grade 3 Jerome on Jan. 2. McLaughlin said he had not yet made any long-range plans regarding Takaful’s 3-year-old schedule.

“I don’t know what it’ll do to our plans,” McLaughlin said. “We’re a long way from getting there. It’s a shame.”

Ortiz, Rodriguez top fall meet

Despite starting 1 for 26, Jose Ortiz won 34 races from his final 108 mounts to win the Aqueduct fall riding title with 35 victories. Manny Franco, who recorded three-win days Saturday and Sunday, finished second with 25 wins. Irad Ortiz Jr. (20), Javier Castellano (13), and Antonio Gallardo (13) rounded out the top five.

In 2016, Jose Ortiz won the Aqueduct winter, spring, and fall meets as well as the Belmont summer/spring and Saratoga meets. He basically took himself out of contention for the Belmont fall meet by riding at Keeneland.

Rudy Rodriguez won the trainers’ title with 11 winners, one more than both Chad Brown and Linda Rice. Bill Mott (9) was fourth, followed by David Cannizzo and Steve Asmussen (8 each).

Highway Star may try two turns

Highway Star, the nose winner of Saturday’s Grade 3 Go for Wand Handicap, likely will keep racing throughout the winter and attempt to stretch out around two turns, according to trainer Rodrigo Ubillo.

Highway Star improved her record to 5 for 7 by upsetting the Go for Wand. Her only two losses came in two-turn races run two weeks apart at Saratoga. On Aug. 11, she finished in a dead heat for fourth in a New York Stallion Stakes on turf. Fifteen days later, she finished third, beaten four lengths, in the Fleet Indian Stakes going 1 1/8 miles.

Jomar Torres, an apprentice, had ridden Highway Star in her first four races. Ubillo said that in the Fleet Indian, Highway Star “ran off with him and got leg weary and got beat. I think she could have won the race.”

NYRA has not yet announced its 2017 winter stakes schedule. Last February, the track hosted the Biogio’s Rose, a two-turn, 1 1/16-mile race in early February. Ubillo said a race like that could be on Highway Star’s agenda early in the year.

Ubillo said Highway Star came out of the race in good order. She earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance.

◗ Angel Arroyo, who rode Highway Star to victory in the Go for Wand, has retained Bill Castle to be his agent starting with Wednesday’s inner-track opener. Arroyo was the eighth-leading rider at the 2015-16 inner-track meet with 21 wins.

◗ Chris DeCarlo, who has not ridden since being involved in a spill at Aqueduct on Nov. 19, is hoping to return this weekend. He is named to ride one horse on Thursday, but DeCarlo said Monday he would likely take off as he continues physical therapy on his calf.

“I want to make sure I’m 100 percent,” DeCarlo said. “I think it needs a few more days.”