Wood Memorial: Wicked Strong rallies past Samraat, Social Inclusion

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Coming off a third-place finish in the Remsen Stakes here last fall, Wicked Strong left New York for south Florida a horse who could be considered one to watch on the Triple Crown trail.

But after two dull performances at Gulfstream Park this winter, Wicked Strong fell off the radar of Kentucky Derby contenders.

He obviously was homesick for Aqueduct.

Back at the Big A for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial, Wicked Strong unleashed a lethal stretch run that carried him past the pacesetting Social Inclusion and all the way to Louisville for next month’s Kentucky Derby.

Wicked Strong won the Wood by 3 1/2 lengths to earn 100 qualifying points for the Derby on May 3. Samraat, previously unbeaten in five starts, nipped Social Inclusion on the wire by a nose, a defeat that could very well cost Social Inclusion – the Wood favorite based on two dominant wins at Gulfstream – a shot at making the Derby.

“That was a tough nose,” said Ron Sanchez, the owner of Social Inclusion, who added that he would run his horse in the Preakness if he doesn’t get into the Derby. “They won’t beat this horse again. Never. Ever.”

Wicked Strong, owned by the Centennial Farms partnership and trained by Jimmy Jerkens, hadn’t won a race since Oct. 26, when he took a one-mile maiden event at Belmont by two lengths. In the Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct last November, he closed into a ridiculously slow pace when third, a half-length behind Honor Code and Cairo Prince.

In the Holy Bull at Gulfstream, Wicked Strong ran a terrible race, finishing ninth, before running fourth in a first-level allowance race behind Constitution, who came back to win last Saturday’s Florida Derby.

“The first race was terrible. He acted terrible in the gate,” Jerkens said. “The next time, I thought he ran a lot better, and I thought it was worth a shot to point for the Florida Derby or the Wood Memorial.”

Jerkens said Wicked Strong adversely reacted to the kickback of Gulfstream’s dirt track, so he pointed for the Wood.

Outside closers were at a distinct advantage Saturday on a breezy spring day at Aqueduct. Though Wicked Strong broke from the rail – after the scratch of Kid Cruz – Jerkens said he instructed jockey Rajiv Maragh to try to get outside if he could.

“I said, ‘It’s great to save ground all the way, but if you can get him to that crown in the stretch, go ahead and do it. They’ve been taking off out there all day,’ ” Jerkens said.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Maragh did save ground early, as Social Inclusion dueled outside of Schivarelli through a half-mile in 47.47 seconds. Social Inclusion, under Luis Contreras, glided to the lead in the middle of the turn, giving the impression that he might just be the freakishly talented colt he showed in his first two starts.

“I got so much horse before the quarter pole,” Contreras said. “At the stretch, I tried to open up, and he just run flat at the end.”

Wicked Strong was in fifth entering the far turn, and Maragh swung him four wide for the stretch. Once he switched leads, Wicked Strong powered home in the final furlong to get the win drawing clear. Wicked Strong, a son of 2007 Derby runner-up Hard Spun, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.31 and returned $20.40 to win.

“When I saw him laying five lengths off the lead, just galloping, I really felt we had a big shot,” Jerkens said. “He was really comfortable laying relatively close behind a pretty fast pace.”

Samraat got up over Social Inclusion, who was followed by Schivarelli, Uncle Sigh, Noble Moon, Kristo, Effinex, Harpoon, and Los Borrachos.

Five years ago, Jerkens came excruciatingly close to getting to the Kentucky Derby with Quality Road, but a foot injury knocked him out a week before the race.

“I’d love to get another crack at it, that’s for sure,” Jerkens said. “It looks like a horse where distance shouldn’t bother him, that’s for sure.”

Though Samraat suffered his first defeat from six career starts, trainer Rick Violette was quite pleased with his New York-bred colt’s performance. He was between horses early, made a move into second around the far turn, and was still game enough to get up for second.

“I thought we were going to be fourth; he kept finding more, finding more,” Violette said. “This was a terrific race. One thing that hadn’t happened to him in his career yet was being surrounded – have horses inside, outside, in front of him, behind him. We got that today, and he handled it with flying colors.”

Back in 2003, the New York-bred Funny Cide was second in the Wood and went on to win the Kentucky Derby. Since then, however, the Wood has produced 22 Kentucky Derby starters without a top-three finish.