Tom Ryan of co-owner SF Racing confirmed Sunday morning that the undefeated colt Taj Mahal will make his next start in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The nine-furlong test for sophomores awards 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
The Wood Memorial headlines a stacked card that includes the Grade 2, $300,000 Carter presented by NYRA Bets, the Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle – a 100-50-25-15-10 qualifier for the Kentucky Oaks, the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff, the Listed $150,000 Excelsior and the Listed $150,000 Plenty of Grace to kick off turf stakes action for the year in New York.
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Trained by Brittany Russell, the son of Nyquist made a winning debut sprinting six furlongs on February 6 at Laurel Park where he broke slow and tracked in last-of-6 under Sheldon Russell. He pounced with a four-wide bid and took the lead in upper stretch, powering home strongly to post the 4 1/4-length score in a final time of 1:12.42 and earning a 73 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.
Just 15 days later, Taj Mahal wheeled back for the one-turn mile Miracle Wood at the Maryland oval, where he switched up his tactics and took a 2 1/2-length lead early after a clean break under Russell. He was met with an outside challenge from Let’s Go Lando in the turn, and the two slugged it out down the lane with Taj Mahal prevailing by a neck in a final time of 1:39.47 over the muddy and sealed footing. He improved his Beyer to an 86 in victory.
Taj Mahal was a $525,000 purchase by agent Donato Lanni at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables. Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan. He is out of the stakes-placed Quality Road mare Oola Gal, and his fourth dam is dual Grade 1-winner and successful broodmare Strategic Maneuver.
City of Brotherly Love Winner Red Zone Runner Heading to Wood
Tom Coulter’s Red Zone Runner dominated the City of Brotherly Love by 15 1/2 lengths on March 3 at Parx Racing and is pointed to the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino.
“We nominated him. That’s the plan, this is where we are aiming,” trainer Hugo Padilla said. “So far, that’s the plan because the horse came out of his last race absolutely outstanding. He’s doing very well, he’s very happy. We couldn’t have asked for any better.”
The Practical Joke dark bay set the pace in the 1 1/16-mile City of Brotherly Love, piloted by Mychel Sanchez through splits of 23.68 seconds, 47.91, 1:13.28, 1:39.73 and stopping the clock in 1:46.67 over the sloppy and sealed track. Red Zone Runner was making his first start for Padilla following four outings for trainer Erin McClellan including stakes thirds in the Pennsylvania-bred Pennsylvania Nursery in November at Parx and the open-company Heft in December at Laurel Park.
New York-Bred Bravaro Probable
New York-bred stakes-winner Bravaro is likely headed north to Aqueduct for the Wood.
“The plan is that if all stays well and he’s healthy, we’ll go to the Wood,” said Niall Brennan, who works in tandem with his wife Stephanie Brennan née Baltzan, co-owner and breeder of Bravaro. “He’s won on the track twice, and we’re confident he’s a very nice horse. Whether he’s a Derby horse, that remains to be seen. Obviously, he would have to show up in the Wood to progress on, but we feel like we’ve got a really nice New York-bred for the summer. We’ll give him a shot and see if he belongs with that group, or we’ll plan a different route for the summer.”
The son of New York-bred Kentucky stallion Upstart was last seen finishing a troubled-trip fourth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on February 28 at Gulfstream Park, where he finished 11 lengths back of the victorious Commandment. The bay colt was making his second graded attempt after a game second-place effort to Nearly in the Grade 3 Holy Bull in January when making his sophomore bow, picking up 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points in each race for a total of 20.
O’Neill Sending Civil Liberty
Grade 1-placed four-start maiden Civil Liberty will look to graduate in style in the Wood Memorial.
Trained by Doug O’Neill for Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis, Civil Liberty will stretch out in distance from a recent neck second sprinting 6 1/2-furlongs on March 7 at Santa Anita Park. His sire, Independence Hall [14-5-2-1, $881,500], won the 2019 Grade 3 Nashua and Listed Jerome in 2020 at the Big A.
“That’s definitely our goal,” O’Neill said regarding the Wood Memorial. “He acts like the distance won’t be a problem for him at all. It wasn’t a problem for his pops – his dad could run the distance. We’re excited about him.”
An early list of horses under consideration for the Wood Memorial includes Bravaro [Saffie Joseph, Jr.], Civil Liberty [Doug O’Neill], Express Kid [Justin Evans], Iron Honor [Chad Brown], Napoleon Solo [Chad Summers], Ottinho [Chad Brown], Red Zone Runner [Hugo Padilla], and Talk to Me Jimmy [Rudy Rodriguez]. Nominations for the 101st running of the Wood Memorial close on Saturday, March 21 with entries to be taken on Sunday, March 29.
