Tale of Ekati arrives at Keeneland

TALE OF EKATI (Tale of the Cat) shipped to Keeneland Saturday night just hours after taking the $750,000 Wood Memorial (G1) at Aqueduct by a half-length over champion War Pass (Cherokee Run). Trainer Barclay Tagg, who earned his second straight Wood score after saddling Nobiz Like Shobiz (Albert the Great) in 2007, said his Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful arrived in great condition at the Lexington, Kentucky, venue.

"He came with me last night and everything is right," the conditioner said. "He's going into the Kentucky Derby the right way."

Tale of Ekati settled into third under Edgar Prado as War Pass and Inner Light (Songandaprayer) knocked heads on the front end. He progressed up to second on the backstretch as the latter sophomore faded, then began to steadily make up ground on the loose-on-the-lead War Pass. Moving to the rail in the stretch, Tale of Ekati passed his tiring rival to score his first win this year, having run sixth in the Louisiana Derby (G2) in his 2008 bow.

"That other horse (Inner Light) maybe softened up War Pass, but he didn't soften him up for long," Tagg said. "War Pass hung in there very tough, and he was the horse I thought we had to beat. But Tale of Ekati was up close to that pace; he was a lot closer than I wanted him to be, that's for sure.

"It all worked out. We knew he was a much better horse than he showed in the Louisiana and he proved that in the Wood Memorial."

Tagg sent out the popular New York-bred Funny Cide to a runner-up finish in the 2003 Wood Memorial, then saddled the chestnut to capture that year's Kentucky Derby in his next start. For the 134th edition of the Run for the Roses, Tagg holds a three-horse hand, with Tampa Bay Derby (G3) hero BIG TRUCK (Hook and Ladder) and Fountain of Youth S. (G2) runner-up ELYSIUM FIELDS (El Prado [Ire]).

"I'm still not sure if I am going to run both of them here in the Blue Grass (G1) or run one here and one in the Arkansas Derby ([G2] at Oaklawn Park)," he admitted, adding that Big Truck and Elysium Fields would probably work Tuesday in advance of those two races next Saturday. "I will say this: I wouldn't trade my three for any others going into the Derby."

Trainer Nick Zito probably feels the same way about War Pass after his colt's gutsy effort in the Wood. The New York City native said his charge came out of his run in good condition and is on his way to Kentucky.

"He ran as tough as he could and showed what kind of horse he is, especially the way the race shaped up," Zito said.

War Pass was named champion two-year-old colt last year after racking up four straight wins, including the Champagne S. (G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). An easy winner of his sophomore debut against allowance rivals, the dark bay suffered his first loss after being bumped in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), fading to seventh and last in the stretch.

"He got nothing out of his race in Tampa, so he needed this," explained Zito, who owns two previous Kentucky Derby trophies. "This sets him up great for the Derby. It was the only big race that I finished second in that I appreciated it as a win."

The New York Racing Association reported that total handle on the Wood Memorial card jumped 7.4 percent, from $17,780,231.50 in 2007 to $19.096,631.54 on Saturday.