Wood win a goal in itself for Enticed

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though Enticed already has enough points to make it into the field for the Kentucky Derby, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin isn’t viewing the colt’s participation in Saturday’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct as a mere prep race.

“We’re there to win,” McLaughlin said Thursday from South Florida. “It’s a very important race. The Derby is the Derby and it’s hard to win it no matter what. This becomes a million-dollar important race, not just a prep race.”

The Wood Memorial has a base purse of $750,000. But if a Grade 1 winner starts, the purse increases to $1 million. Firenze Fire, winner of the Grade 1 Champagne last fall, is scheduled to start, though he is suspect at the Wood distance of 1 1/8 miles.

The Wood also offers qualifying points (100-40-20-10) to its top four finishers toward the Kentucky Derby under the system utilized by Churchill Downs to determine the 20-horse field. In the Wood, aside from Enticed, only Firenze Fire (29), Old Time Revival (20) and Vino Rosso (7) have points.

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Enticed is coming off a career-best performance winning the Grade 3 Gotham here last month. He did have a perfect trip in the one-turn mile race, something he didn’t have when he was fourth to Audible in the Holy Bull at Gulfstream in February.

“We feel like he’s always wanted the mile and an eighth, mile and a quarter,” said McLaughlin, who won the 2015 Wood with Frosted. “He’s a large colt with a big stride, very well-bred. We turned back to the Gotham. We weren’t sure that was the right move at the time. It worked out to be the right move.”

There would appear to be ample pace in the Wood. Old Time Revival, who ran second in the Gotham, is likely to be up front again. Heartfullofstars may have to be sent from the rail to obtain position. Catch Twenty Two is adding blinkers, and Restoring Hope has been close in his two route races.

Enticed will break from post 5 under Junior Alvarado.

“I kind of hope a couple of them go so there’s some space so Junior can camp out in the three path and be okay,” said McLaughlin.

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Restoring Hope is coming off a maiden win at Santa Anita on Feb. 2. He had been targeted for the Sunland Derby, but did not have enough earnings to crack that oversubscribed field.

Vino Rosso is attempting to rebound from a third in the Sam Davis at Tampa Bay Downs and fourth in the Tampa Bay Derby. He won his debut at Aqueduct.

Firenze Fire is a three-time stakes winner. Evaluator hasn’t run since finishing second in the Damon Runyon Stakes in January. King Zachary was a 7 3/4-length maiden winner at Gulfstream in his first start around two turns. Catch Twenty Two looks overmatched.

The Wood goes as race 10 on an 11-race card that begins at 1 p.m. Eastern. The card also includes the Grade 1 Carter, Grade 2 Gazelle, Grade 3 Bay Shore, and Grade 3 Excelsior. The Wood will be shown on NBC Sports Network during a two-hour broadcast beginning at 5:30 p.m. Eastern that will also include the Blue Grass from Keeneland and the Santa Anita Derby.

Weather forecasts for Saturday vary from cloudy and cold to 2 to 4 inches of snow.

KEY CONTENDERS

Enticed, Medaglia d’Oro
Last 3 Beyers: 95-76-81

◗ Bounced back in the Gotham from a 14 3/4-length loss to Audible in the Holy Bull. Audible came back with an authoritative victory in the Grade 1 Florida Derby.

◗ Showed grit winning the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs last year, a race that produced six horses that have won stakes.

◗ Was outworked by First Commander, a highly regarded maiden, March 30 at Palm Meadows.

Restoring Hope, by Giant’s Causeway
Last 3 Beyers: 89-69-87

◗ With blinkers off, he was a pace-pressing winner of a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Santa Anita in his third career start.

“He was a little bit too keen, he wasn’t relaxing,” trainer Bob Baffert said about removing the blinkers. “Going long I just feel he’s better without the blinkers. He can relax a little bit. He’s still a fast horse, he’s going to be up close, but going long I think he’s manageable that way.”

◗ Two horses he beat on Feb. 2 have come back to win.

Vino Rosso, by Curlin
Last 3 Beyers: 85-90-70

◗ Seemed to struggle around the second turn in both the Sam F. Davis and Tampa Bay Derby, though rebounded better in Sam Davis to gallop out past the field.

◗ Easily outworked Audible on March 24, but was then outworked by Magnum Moon, the undefeated Rebel Stakes winner, last Saturday.

◗ Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Wood four times.

Firenze Fire, by Poseidon’s Warrior
Last 3 Beyers: 79-83-86

◗ Has been a bit keen in his two most recent races, a second in the Withers and a fourth in the Gotham.

◗ If Manny Franco can get him to relax early, he has shown the ability to close off a solid pace.