Grade 3 winner BOB AND JOHN (Seeking the Gold) and last-out Gotham S. (G3)
runner-up KEYED ENTRY (Honour and Glory) are among the top draws for Saturday’s
$750,000 Wood Memorial (G1) at Aqueduct. Tampa Bay Derby (G3) hero DEPUTY
GLITTERS (Deputy Commander) and GREELEY’S
LEGACY (Mr. Greeley) are also part of the nine-horse field.
The Bob Baffert-trained Bob and John has been
installed as the 2-1 favorite on the morning line. Winner of the Sham S. (G3)
two starts back, Bob and John exits a troubled third in the San Felipe S. (G2)
at Santa Anita. The Grade 1-placed colt will be ridden by Garrett Gomez for the
first time. Keyed Entry, the early 5-2 second choice in the 1 1/8-mile Wood,
posted a nice win over First Samurai Giant’s Causeway)
in the Hutcheson S. (G2) earlier this year and missed by only a neck when
making his two-turn bow in the Gotham. Edgar Prado
retains the mount for Todd Pletcher. Deputy Glitters will invade from South
Florida for conditioner Thomas Albertrani and has been much
improved since stretching out to two turns recently. Greeley’s
Legacy, an impressive winner over allowance/optional claiming foes two starts
back, rallied well to be a close fourth, beaten only 1 1/4
lengths, in the Gotham last time.
Maiden winner JAZIL (Seeking the Gold), who will attempt to rebound off a
seventh in the Fountain of Youth S. (G2), will lead the post parade with jockey
Fernando Jara and is listed at 10-1 on the morning
line. Next comes PLATINUM COUPLE (Tale of the Cat), Jose Santos, 30-1; Keyed
Entry; Deputy Glitters, Jose Lezcano, 7-2; NIAGARA
CAUSEWAY (Giant’s Causeway), Isaias Enriquez, 30-1;
Greeley’s Legacy, Eibar Coa, 6-1; Bob and John; MARCO’S TALE (Tale of the Cat),
Norberto Arroyo Jr., 15-1; and SCANLON’S SONG (Partner’s Hero), Ramon
Dominguez, 20-1.
On the undercard, TOO MUCH BLING (Rubiano) heads a field of five sophomores
in the seven-furlong Bay Shore S. (G3). Trained by Baffert, the gray colt opened
2006 with a four-length victory in the San Miguel S. and followed with another
impressive score at Santa Anita in the San Vicente S. (G2) last time out.
Gomez rides.
SONGSTER (Songandaprayer), who exits a narrow second in an allowance to
eventual Spectacular Bid S. winner Exclusive Quality (Elusive Quality), will
make his stakes bow in the Bay Shore. The other three contestants are DEVIL’S
CONCIERGE (Wild Rush), ONE WAY FLIGHT (Precise End) and TRAILING TWELVE (Five
Star Day).