War Pass Has Something To Prove in Wood

WAR PASS (Cherokee Run) tops a field of 10 in Saturday's 84th running of the Wood Memorial (G1), and the 1 1/8-mile contest will serve as a benchmark for the champion juvenile. A superb 7 1/2-length winner of his 2008 debut over allowance rivals at Gulfstream Park, War Pass never made the early lead and wound up faltering to last as the overwhelming 1-20 choice in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) last time out. That left many questioning his credibility as a Kentucky Derby (G1) contender. War Pass can't afford another disappointment in Saturday's $750,000 Wood, or he could wind up missing the Run for the Roses.

"For whatever reason, he just didn't show up," trainer Nick Zito said of the humbling loss. "You want to be confident and draw a line through the Tampa race."

War Pass, the 6-5 morning-line favorite for the Wood, is a serious threat to bounce back with a wire-to-wire victory over the main track at Aqueduct. With the forecast of heavy rain on Friday, he could catch a wet track on Saturday, and his most impressive performance last year, a 4 3/4-length decision over Pyro (Pulpit) in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), came on a sloppy track at Monmouth Park. The Kentucky-bred led wire-to-wire in all four starts last season, and War Pass brought huge expectations into his sophomore campaign. He closed as the second choice among individual wagering interests in the first two pools of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager earlier this year.

"I'm apprehensive, excited, happy -- and cautious," Zito said. "I'm a fan, too, and I want to see a horse like War Pass run big. I always have confidence when I have War Pass."

The colt is well drawn in post position 5 along with regular rider Cornelio Velasquez, and a victory on Saturday will help ease the disappointment of the Tampa Bay Derby while boosting War Pass' chances for the May 3 Kentucky Derby.

Remsen S. (G2) winner COURT VISION (Gulch) will be running late. The Bill Mott-trained colt brought a three-race winning skein into his 2008 debut, the February 24 Fountain of Youth S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park, but Court Vision fell far behind during the early stages. He kicked it in approaching the stretch drive, passing a lot of horses in the final furlongs to finish a non-threatening third.

"It was his first race back and he ran well, considering he was on a speed-favoring racetrack," Mott said. "He was pretty far back, and he wasn't going to make up any kind of ground on that track."

Court Vision figures to be much tighter this time around for his Hall of Fame conditioner. The dark bay colt will run coupled with stablemate INNER LIGHT (Songandaprayer), who appears to be in the race for the purpose of ensuring a fast pace, and Garrett Gomez will retain the mount aboard Court Vision.

Grade 2 winner TALE OF EKATI (Tale of the Cat) will seek a measure of redemption following a disappointing sixth in his seasonal bow, the March 8 Louisiana Derby (G2). Fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the Barclay Tagg runner was very well regarded entering his three-year-old season, but Tale of Ekati broke slowly at the Fair Grounds and never got seriously involved in the running. He's certainly a candidate to rebound with an improved showing, and Edgar Prado will stick with Tale of Ekati.

Zito will also send out the uncoupled ANAK NAKAL (Victory Gallop). Winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) at Churchill Downs last November, Anak Nakal was a Kentucky Derby prospect to consider entering 2008, but nothing has gone right for the dark bay colt this season with an eighth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth and a seventh in the Rebel S. (G2) most recently. His Hall of Fame trainer will equip him with blinkers, and Anak Nakal will pick up a new rider in Alan Garcia.

TEXAS WILDCATTER (Monarchos) will enter the Wood on the upswing for Todd Pletcher, finishing second by a nose in the Gotham S. (G3) last out. A Philadelphia Park allowance winner three starts back, the gray colt then finished third in the Whirlaway S. over Aqueduct's inner track. Texas Wildcatter continued to show more last time, and he'll get a new rider in Eibar Coa. Pletcher is also responsible for the uncoupled SPURRIER (Dixieland Band), who will make his stakes debut. He broke his maiden two starts back at the Big A and exits a score over allowance/optional claiming rivals on March 5.

Count Fleet S. hero GIANT MOON (Giant's Causeway) and Whirlaway runner-up ROMAN EMPEROR (Empire Maker) are also entered. FIRST COMMANDMENT (Deputy Commander), last seen winning a New York-bred allowance, rounds out the field.

Texas Wildcatter, listed at 5-1 on the morning line, will break from the rail. He'll be followed in the post parade by Spurrier, Stewart Elliott, 15-1; Court Vision, 6-1; First Commandment, Mike Luzzi, 30-1; War Pass; Roman Emperor, Jeremy Rose, 15-1; Giant Moon, Jorge Chavez, 12-1; Tale of Ekati, 9-2; Inner Light, Chuck Lopez, 6-1; and Anak Nakal, 20-1.

Each sophomore will tote 123 pounds.