(April 7, 2004) - Just look at trainers Nick Zito, Bob Baffert, Todd Pletcher and Rick Violette.

Saturday, Zito, Baffert, Pletcher and Violette will be saddling a quartet of hopefuls in the $750,000 Wood Memorial (G1) at Aqueduct, New York's final prep for leading up to the May 1 Kentucky Derby. And while strong, three of the four colts aren't even the marquee horses among the trainers' 3-year-old stars.

*Zito, who trains Toyota Blue Grass starters Birdstone and The Cliff's Edge, sends out lightly-raced Royal Assault, who will be making his fourth career start in the Wood;
*Baffert, who trains Wimbledon and Preachinatthebar, will be represented in the Wood by Consecrate, a well-raced son of Silver Charm who is on an 0-7 schneid;
*Violette, already set for the Derby with Read the Footnotes, has Swingforthefences ready to step up into Kentucky Derby contention, and
*Pletcher, who has Limehouse in the Toyota Blue Grass and Purge in the Arkansas Derby, may even have the Wood favorite in Value Plus.
A field of 12 is expected at Thursday's post position draw, including Master David, trained by Eclipse award winner Bobby Frankel; Eddington, a troubled third in the Gotham; Sinister G, upset winner of the Lane's End Stakes; Bride's Best Boy, stablemate of last year's Derby winner, Funny Cide; Cuba; Hornshope; Little Matth Man, and Tapit.

Royal Assault, a son of Kris S., broke his maiden in his first start, finished third to Value Plus in an allowance and was second behind Suave in a nine-furlong allowance at Gulfstream Park last month.

"The horse lost to Value Plus, but that was at seven-eighths," said Zito, a two-time winner of the Kentucky Derby. "It's a whole different ballgame now. We got started with this horse late, mainly because of maturity, but also because the owner (Tracy Farmer) also bred this horse and wants to take his time. But this horse has developed by leaps and bounds."

Royal Assault will be ridden for the first time by Robby Albarado.

Baffert, a three-time winner of the Derby, said last week at Santa Anita that Consecrate would get another chance to prove his mettle in the Wood because owner Jim McIngvale is "willing to take a chance."

McIngvale also owns Wimbledon, the Louisiana Derby winner who finished fifth in the Santa Anita Derby last week.

Then, there are Pletcher and Violette, both of whom are seeking their first Derby victories. Pletcher has been to the Derby before, but Violette will be making his first appearance at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

Value Plus, a son of Unbridled's Song who stands 16.3 hands tall, could be Pletcher's best Derby hope, having finished a strong second in the Florida Derby to Friend's Lake in his second start of the year.

"I thought his race in the Florida Derby was very solid," said Pletcher. "It was only his second start of the year and first going nine furlongs and the track was like a desert. We're encouraged by that but now he's got to go out there and prove it."

Violette's No. 1 horse is Read the Footnotes, who won the Fountain of Youth for his fourth straight victory but then bounced and finished fourth in the Florida Derby on March 13. He won't race again until May 1.

Swingforthefences hinted at spring classic potential with a big allowance victory at Gulfstream on February 14. He followed that up with a third-place finish to Limehouse in the Tampa Bay Derby four weeks later.

"This horse has won at a mile and an eighth and not a lot of them have," said Violette, scheduled to arrive in New York Thursday from Florida. "Then, I thought his race at Tampa was a very good race. Unlike his normal self, he got all worked up in the paddock. He overcame a lot and ran a winning race, he just didn't win. But he gained a lot of experience."

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