Kentucky Derby

Gotham Runners Looking Towards Rematch In Wood Memorial
By: Jenny Kellner

New York (March 19,2006) - The first four finishers from Saturday's Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct may wind up meeting again in the $750,000 Wood Memorial (G1) on April 8.

Like Now, who pulled off a 35-1 upset in his first start past six furlongs, came out of the race in fine shape, said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

"He's bright, happy and we're all excited," said McLaughlin, who also trains the Toyota Blue Grass-bound Jazil and Florida Derby-bound Flashy Bull. "It was a great result. He had the rail and a track that's good to speed, but he did everything right first time going long. He's really improved the last few weeks. From December working here, he's improving all the time. It's a lot of fun."

Seth Benzel, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, said that Hutcheson Stakes winner Keyed Entry, who was a neck back in second, would go on to "bigger and better things."

"He'll really benefit from yesterday," Benzel said. "Having that kind of a layoff and now he'll be able to go into the Wood with three weeks rest. It works out really well that way."

It was the first loss in four starts for Keyed Entry, who many pegged as the horse to beat in the Gotham after his impressive outing in the Hutcheson.

"He got a lot accomplished in the race," said Benzel. "He didn't come away with a win, but that's fine at this point."

Sweetnorthernsaint was a just half-length back in third at the end of the 1 1/16th mile race and Michael Trombotta is considering his options.

"That was the first time he really had to lay his body down and fight and I was impressed with his race," said Trombetta, who is based in Maryland. "I thought he took the worst of it with his post, but he was very game. We've got some options now."

Greeley's Legacy, fourth for trainer George Weaver, may also return for the 1 1/8th mile Wood, which has produced three of the last six Kentucky Derby winners in Fusaichi Pegasus (2000), Monarchos (2001) and Funny Cide (2003).

"We wanted to see how he stacked up against that kind of competition," Weaver said. "It's a long year, and I really didn't train him hard for this race. He had a little five-eighths breeze the other day and that was about it. Now that he shown he belongs, he'll train harder. I think he is a Kentucky Derby horse, and while there may be an outside chance that he will run in the Blue Grass, I would say the Wood Memorial is definitely on his schedule. He likes New York and he likes Aqueduct."

Beaten favorite Achilles of Troy, who was pulled up on the turn after finishing fifth, underwent X-rays Sunday morning and will undergo an ultrasound Monday, said trainer Frank Amonte Jr.

"He looks fine," said Amonte, who replaced Jen Pedersen as Paraneck Stables trainer. "He's comfortable."

Pedersen, who was fired by owner Ernie Paragallo two weeks ago, called the press box at Aqueduct after the Gotham and said that when she left the horse two weeks ago, "he was fine."

Meanwhile,. Paragallo told Bill Finley, writing for the New York Times, that he wanted to scratch the horse Friday after the exercise rider told him the horse was not right. Exercise rider Kevin Grau is hard of hearing and communicates in sign language.

"I called him (Amonte) five times and each time he said the horse was fine," said a disgusted Paragallo.

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