** Please see the attached photo of
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Contact: Jenny Kellner
UNDEFEATED UNCLE MO IS OVERWHELMING FAVORITE IN GRADE 1, $1 MILLION RESORTS WORLD
Since Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox in 1930, 20
"Pleasant Colony was the first horse I remember who won the Wood, and I was there when I was a teenager for Broad Brush [1986], Gulch [1987], and Easy Goer [1989]," said Repole. "To me, Aqueduct was THE racetrack, and from being a 13-year-old kid who took the bus there to having the favorite for the Wood is like coming full circle. If I had a choice of what race I wanted to win in
Nine will line up in the gate on either side of
The Wood will be the third time Uncle Mo has faced nine others, having done so in both his maiden race and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and marks the first time the Indian Charlie colt will travel 1 1/8 miles; the Champagne and the Timely Writer were both one-mile races, while the Juvenile was at 1 1/16 miles.
"He's never given me any concerns about distance limitations in any of his races or any of his training, so we're looking forward to it," said trainer Todd Pletcher, who won last year's Wood with Eskendereya. "We wanted a 1 1/8-mile prep before the
The lone listed stakes winner facing
"It's a $1-million race, it's a Grade 1, and it's 2 ½ hours away," said trainer Graham Motion on the decision to run Toby's Corner in the Wood. "It's just a ship on the day of the race, while [
"He's had a tendency to act up a little in the stretch," added Motion. "He puts his head up at the eighth pole, and I'm hoping the blinkers will help put his mind on business."
Also returning from the 1 1/16-mile
"He should be double-digit odds again on Saturday, and hopefully, he'll defy them again," said trainer Christopher Grove. "He's had two great works going into this race, and he's an improving horse."
With Julian Pimentel aboard, Norman Asbjornson drew post position 8 and was listed at 15-1 on the morning line.
Third choice at 12-1 is Darley Stable's Arthur's Tale, who enters the Wood off an optional claiming victory over the Big A's inner track on March 23. The Bernardini colt, a $750,000 yearling purchase, broke his maiden at Aqueduct on December 2 and subsequently finished fourth in the Count Fleet and Whirlaway.
"Distance-wise, it should be a benefit to us," said trainer Tom Albertrani. "He's coming off a nice allowance win, and it looks like he's made some improvement. You always have to respect the favorite, but we're looking at something later on, like the Belmont Stakes. If we run a credible race here, we'd be happy with that."
With Ramon Dominguez in the irons, Arthur's Tale drew post position 4.
Preachintothedevil, third to Toby's Corner in the Whirlaway, enters the Wood off a sixth-place finish in the Grade 3 Spiral over the artificial surface at
Rounding out the field are Duca, who broke his maiden for Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas at Oaklawn Park on March 12; Isn't He Perfect, who was sixth in the Gotham and subsequently won a starter allowance on March 20; Full of Scoundrels, a $12,500 maiden claim who next finished second to Isn't He Perfect on March 20; Starship Caesar, last of seven in the Gotham, and Son of Posse, seventh in the Spiral.
The field for the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial:
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | Starship Caesar (FL) | C H Velasquez | 123 | B Parboo | 50-1 |
| 2 | Toby's Corner (FL) | E Castro | 123 | H G Motion | 8-1 |
| 3 | Full of Scoundrels (NY) | C C Lopez | 123 | | 50-1 |
| 4 | Arthur's Tale (KY) | R A Dominguez | 123 | T Albertrani | 12-1 |
| 5 | | J R Velazquez | 123 | T A Pletcher | 1-5 |
| 6 | Preachintothedevil (NY) | J Alvarado | 123 | G C Contessa | 20-1 |
| 7 | Duca (KY) | | 123 | D W Lukas | 20-1 |
| 8 | Norman Asbjornson (PA) | J Pimentel | 123 | C W Grove | 15-1 |
| 9 | Isn't He Perfect (KY) | C Hill | 123 | D Shivmangal | 50-1 |
| 10 | Son of Posse (KY) | F Z Maysonett | 123 | R Vitiello | 99-1 |
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