War Pass Arrives After Eventful Flight

Champion two-year-old WAR PASS (Cherokee Run), the 6-5 morning line favorite for Saturday's $750,000 Wood Memorial (G1), arrived in New York on Thursday afternoon after a choppy and turbulence-filled flight from Florida.

"We had to put three staples under his chin because he hit his head on the plane," said Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, who noted the cut on War Pass is simply superficial.  "He looks great and he's acting great."

War Pass enters the nine-furlong Wood Memorial off an inexplicable 23 1/4-length defeat as the 1-20 favorite in the March 15 Tampa Bay Derby (G3), his first loss in six starts. The Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner's mission in the Wood Memorial is to put the Tampa Bay Derby behind him and confirm his status as a top contender for the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1).

War Pass is owned by Robert LaPenta and has drawn post 5 in the Wood Memorial. Regular rider Cornelio Velasquez has the mount.

Remsen S. (G2) winner COURT VISION (Gulch), stablemate INNER LIGHT (Songandaprayer), and Futurity S. (G2) winner TALE OF EKATI (Tale of the Cat) all arrived safely at Aqueduct Thursday afternoon. All three spent the night in Barn 7 and took a spin on Aqueduct's main track Friday morning. The trio shipped from Florida right to Aqueduct for Saturday's Wood Memorial.

Tale of Ekati will be looking to improve off his sixth-place finish in the March 8 Louisiana Derby (G2). Trainer Barclay Tagg was not thrilled at the prospect of the Wood Memorial being run over a wet track, but said he would not scratch the bay colt.

"I don't like wet tracks," Tagg said. "Wet tracks favor particular horses sometimes and you don't get an honest opinion of how your horse ran. A wet track favored War Pass and a wet track favored Pyro (Pulpit) (in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile)."

Tale of Ekati's lone start over a wet track was in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile where he finished fourth, beaten 17 1/2 lengths by War Pass.