2021 Wood Memorial Contenders and Odds

Wood Memorial Offers 100 Kentucky Derby Qualifying Points To Winner

Unbeaten Prevalence and Grade 3 Withers-winner Risk Taking highlight a strong field for Saturday's 96th running of the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino for sophomores going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The nine-furlong two-turn contest is the final local qualifier for the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs and awards 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

The Wood Memorial, which has seen 11 winners go on to win the "Run for the Roses" in its illustrious history, will air on NBSCN as part of a live national broadcast beginning at 5:30 p.m. Eastern and scheduled to include the Grade 2, $800,000 Toyota Blue Grass from Keeneland and the Grade 1, $750,000 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park.

The Wood Memorial is one of five graded events on Saturday at the Big A, including the first New York Grade 1 race of the year in the $300,000 Carter for 4-year-olds and up going seven furlongs; the Grade 3, $200,000 Bayshore for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs; the Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior for 4-year-olds and up going nine furlongs; and the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle, a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies offering 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points.

Godolphin, whose royal blue colors saw the winner's circle in the 2015 Wood Memorial with Frosted, will seek their second Wood triumph with the highly regarded Prevalence. The Brendan Walsh-trained son of Medaglia d'Oro is 2-for-2 at Gulfstream Park to start and his career will see two turns for the first time.

Prevalence, the 3-1 morning-line second choice, posted an 8 ½-length debut win going seven furlongs on January 23. The talented bay colt defeated Stage Raider, a half-brother to 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, as part of a talented field.

"There were a bunch of horses in that race being touted," Walsh said. "A lot of them have come back and run well, which showed that the form was respectable. He won by a very wide margin and no matter the company you're in that's pretty remarkable."

He handled a stretch out to a mile on March 11 over the same track, besting an optional claiming field by three lengths. Despite needing light handling in the final sixteenth, Walsh expressed no concern.

"It was just a little bit of greenness. I'm sure if he had company it would have helped him along," Walsh said.

Prevalence displayed an up close running style in both efforts and Walsh said that his horse should show the same tactics on Saturday.

"He's quick, so with that kind of speed, he should be prominent in the race," Walsh said. "He hits me as a horse who can handle any kind of surface."

Prevalence, a Kentucky homebred, is out of the Ghostzapper mare Enrichment, a full-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Better Lucky and stakes-winning turf sprinter Final Frontier.

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione retains the mount aboard Prevalence from post 6.

Prevalence will face four graded stakes-winners who have already earned triumphs on the Derby trail. His biggest challenge comes from Risk Taking, who was made the 5-2 morning line favorite after flaunting excellence in both of his starts going nine furlongs at Aqueduct.

Owned by Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables and trained by Chad Brown, Risk Taking benefitted from the addition of blinkers and added distance in his third career start, where the son of Medaglia d'Oro broke his maiden December 13 at the Big A. Risk Taking settled several lengths off a slow pace while saving ground along the rail before drawing off to a 2 ¼-length win over eventual winners The Reds and Unbridled Honor.

Risk Taking secured 10 Derby qualifying points with a 3 3/4-length Withers win, hitting the wire first after securing advantage inside the final furlong.

Bred in Kentucky by G. Watts Humphrey, Jr., Risk Taking is out of the dual turf stakes-placed Distorted Humor mare Run a Risk. He was a $240,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Risk Taking drew post 4 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Brown and Klaravich are also represented by Crowded Trade, who arrives off a sharp runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Gotham on March 6 at Aqueduct.

The son of More Than Ready won his six-furlong debut coming from 7 1/2 lengths off the pace to get up in the final strides on January 28 at Aqueduct. Despite a cleaner break in the one-turn mile Gotham, Crowded Trade came up just a nose shy after establishing slight command in mid-stretch but did not fend off the inside challenge of upset winner Weyburn.

Breaking from post 2 at 4-1 on the morning line, Crowded Trade will be ridden by winter meet leading rider Eric Cancel.

Trainer Todd Pletcher is in pursuit of a sixth Wood Memorial victory when he saddles Dynamic One [post 5, Jose Ortiz, 12-1] and Bourbonic [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche, 30-1].

Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Phipps Stable's Dynamic One graduated at fourth asking when traveling nine furlongs on March 7 at Aqueduct.

In his previous starts around two turns, both at Gulfstream Park, Dynamic One finished a respective second and fourth, with the former coming 1 ½ length shy of victory to dual graded stakes-winner Greatest Honour.

"He's always trained well," said Pletcher. "He was a little unlucky in his two races at Gulfstream to draw the outside post both times, so we were happy to see him get the job done with the maiden win at Aqueduct. We're going to step up and give him a chance."

Bred in Kentucky by co-owner Phipps Stable, Dynamic One was bought for $725,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Pletcher also sends out Calumet Farm's Bourbonic, who takes a major jump up in class. The son of Bernardini notched both of his lifetime victories at Aqueduct going a one-turn mile. He arrives at the Wood Memorial off a runner-up finish in a Parx Racing optional-claiming event on February 23.

"It's a big step. We're taking a shot hoping that we will improve," Pletcher said.

Pletcher previously won the Wood Memorial with Eskendereya [2010], Gemologist [2012], Verrazano [2013], Outwork [2016], and Vino Rosso [2018].

Cheifswood Stables Limited's Grade 3 Gotham-hero Weyburn seeks to be the first horse since I Want Revenge [2009] to win the Gotham-Wood Memorial double.

The Ontario-bred son of Pioneerof the Nile tracked pacesetter Freedom Fighter from second before battling with Crowded Trade down the stretch to score a 46-1 upset. Weyburn earned 50 Derby points and is currently 10th on the leaderboard.

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens will seek a second Wood Memorial victory after sending out Wicked Strong in 2014.

Trevor McCarthy retains the mount aboard Weyburn from post 8 at morning line odds of 9-2.

A former Wood winner has sired another Wood winner three times in the past 10 years. Brooklyn Strong, a son of 2014 Wood winner Wicked Strong, will look to add to that list in making his sophomore bow for trainer Daniel Velazquez.

Bred in New York by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan, Mark Schwartz's Brooklyn Strong last raced on December 5, capturing the Grade 2 Remsen on over a sloppy and sealed Aqueduct track.

Brooklyn Strong arrived at the Remsen off a stakes win against his New York-bred counterparts in the Sleepy Hollow on October 24 at Belmont Park.

Manny Franco will be aboard as Brooklyn Strong, at 6-1, will break from the rail.

Candy Man Rocket [post 7, 12-1] seeks redemption after a distant 11th in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby as the beaten favorite. The dark bay Candy Ride colt owned by Frank Fletcher Racing Operations was a sharp 9 ¼-length winner at second asking going six furlongs on January 9 at Gulfstream Park.

He backed up an impressive maiden victory in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis on February 6 at Tampa Bay Downs, where he was prominently placed and held off a late charge from stablemate Nova Rags.

Jockey Junior Alvarado retains the mount aboard Candy Man Rocket from post 7.

Rounding out the field is Gregory Gordon's homebred Market Maven, who ships from Parx Racing for trainer Penny Pearce. The gelded chestnut son of Super Ninety Nine broke his maiden at third asking against fellow Pennsylvania-breds on January 20 before defeating open company winners at a mile and 70 yards on February 23.

Breaking from post 9 at 30-1, Market Maven will be ridden by Dexter Haddock in his first graded stakes mount.

The Wood Memorial, slated for Race 10 on the card, honors the late Eugene D. Wood, a New York state politician who was responsible for the establishment of the now defunct Jamaica Racetrack, where the Wood Memorial was originally run.

Since its inception, the Wood has been captured by over 20 eventual American classic winners, including Triple Crown winners Gallant Fox [1930], Count Fleet [1943], Assault [1946] and Seattle Slew [1977]. Other prominent American classic winners to have previously won the Wood Memorial include Twenty Grand [1931], Johnstown [1939], Hill Prince [1950], Native Dancer [1953], Nashua [1955], Bold Ruler [1957], Quadrangle [1964] Damascus [1967], Foolish Pleasure [1975], Bold Forbes [1976], Easy Goer [1989] and Empire Maker [2003].

First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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Prevalence puts in final work out for G2 Wood Memorial

Godolphin's Prevalence registered his final work before shipping to New York for Saturday's Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial, posting a half-mile breeze in 47.60 seconds Sunday at his home base at the Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Florida.

Trainer Brendan Walsh said he's been pleased with the Medaglia d'Oro colt's training and will see him ship to New York on Wednesday, when the draw for the 100-40-20-10-point Kentucky Derby qualifier will occur.

Prevalence, unraced as a juvenile, is 2-for-2, recording a 8 1/2-length debut victory on January 23 at Gulfstream Park and following with a three-length score stretched out to a mile on March 11 at the same track.

"He worked here this morning at Palm Meadows and it went very well and he's flying up there on Wednesday. It looks like he's going into the race in good shape," Walsh said. "It's another step now, so we'll find out if he can go the two turns as well. This will answer our questions and be a good test for him."

Walsh said he's optimistic Prevalence can handle the challenge of shipping in for a race for the first time, citing his demeanor and temperament.

"He's a very nice, quiet, easy-going horse and I don't think the travel will affect him at all," Walsh said. "We'll see how he handles the track. He hits me as a horse who can handle any kind of surface."

Walsh, who has registered 364 wins and earnings of more than $20 million, said the chance to compete in a prestigious race such as the Wood Memorial is a special one, especially with the 2020 edition not being able to run because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's fantastic. This is why we're in the game; to be part of these races, and to bring a horse up there who should be a live one, it's very exciting," Walsh said.

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione, aboard for Prevalence's first two starts, will have the return call in the Wood Memorial.

"It's always good when you can have continuity," Walsh said. "It all helps. Tyler's a great rider, so we look forward to having him on board."

Market Maven Stepping Up In Class For G2 Wood Memorial

Market Maven will provide the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino some intrigue as the Pennsylvania homebred will make his first stakes appearance after making his first four career starts at his home base at Parx.

The Super Ninety Nine gelding is the only horse currently in training for owner [and breeder] Gregory Gordon, who has compiled 10 wins, four runner-up efforts and three third-place finishes with 23 starters since sending out his first starter in 2013.

Market Maven has improved his career speed figures in every race, beginning with a 39 Beyer in a sixth-place debut effort in November to a 48 in a runner-up effort on December 22. Making his sophomore debut, Market Maven registered a maiden-breaking one-length score that garnered a 74 number and followed with an 81 for his four-length score against optional claimers going a mile and 70 yards last out on February 23 over a sloppy and sealed track.

Trainer Penny Pearce, who will saddle her first career graded stakes starter, said Market Maven has been training forwardly since, prompting the connections to be ambitious in nominating to Aqueduct's signature race with 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby available to the top-four finishers.

"Every time we take him out there, he gets a bit better every time," Pearce said. "We really don't know what we have yet. You can't win it if you ain't in it. We're all pretty excited. I don't think anyone is more excited than Gregory; he bred and raised him and he's the only one he has in training. When he came to me about this race, I was a little [surprised]. But we started talking about it and we said, `why not?' He's a nice horse and has talent."

The Wood Memorial, which has seen 11 of its winners go on to the win the "Run for the Roses," will also be an opportunity for jockey Dexter Haddock to compete in a prestigious stake. Haddock, primarily based on the Parx circuit, has been aboard for all four of Market Maven's previous starts, developing a strong rapport that Pearce said she wanted to maintain.

"He's the only jock that's been on him since I got him; Dexter's done all the work with him," Pearce said. "That gives me a little more confidence because he knows him better than anyone."

Market Maven has won as the front-runner in his last two starts, though Pearce said he has the skill-set to be versatile.

"I think if he could get up close to the lead or get the lead, [ it would be his preferred trip] he could run it like his last race. But he can come from a little out of it, too, so never know. It all looks good on paper but you go out there and everything changes when you come out of the gate.

"He's good-natured and quiet, so I think he'll be all right," she added.

Pearce has a ledger of 102-112-123 in 883 career starts since going out on her own in 2012. She said running in a historic New York stakes will be a special event for her family-run operation and a nice reward for both Gordon and Haddock as well.

"Greg just told me let's go have fun and there's no pressure and no stress," said Pearce. "He said, `let's go have a day of fun.' This day will be exciting for everyone but especially for him; I'll be happy to see him do good and Dexter. We're a family-run barn here, so we're a team. I have my husband and my children working here and my nephew and his wife are stabled with us. It's a seven-day a week job and we all work hard and these kind of horses don't come around every day."

Weyburn on target for 2021 Wood Memorial

March 19 - Chiefswood Stables homebred Weyburn returned to the work tab on Wednesday with an easy half-mile move in 50.93 seconds over the Belmont Park training track in preparation for the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on Saturday, April 3.

The dark bay son of Pioneerof the Nile pleased trainer Jimmy Jerkens in his first work back from the Grade 3 Gotham on March 6 at the Big A, where he pulled off a 46-1 upset fighting gamely along the rail to get a nose to the better of Crowded Trade.

"He just ran hard [in the Gotham] and he's not the heaviest horse in the world, so he didn't really need anything more than what he did on Wednesday," Jerkens said of the breeze.

A strong performance in the Wood Memorial would likely propel Weyburn to the Kentucky Derby, for which he earned 50 qualifying points after winning the Gotham. Jerkens' lone Derby starter to date was Wicked Strong, who ran fourth in 2014 after capturing that year's Wood Memorial.

Weyburn, bred in Ontario, was recently made the 3-1 early favorite for the $1 million Queen's Plate on August 22 at Woodbine - Canada's premier horserace restricted to those bred in Canada. Jerkens won the 2017 Queen's Plate with Stronach Stables' homebred Holy Helena

Weyburn is out of the A.P. Indy mare Sunday Affair, who also produced graded stakes winner Yorkton. His third dam was Grade 1-winner Maplejinsky who produced 1994 Champion Older Filly Sky Beauty.

Roman Centurian probable for G2 Wood Memorial

March 19 - Trainer Simon Callaghan said Roman Centurian, bred and co-owned by Don Alberto Stable with Qatar Racing Limited, is likely to make his next start in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Wood Memorial card features the first Grade 1 of 2021 on the NYRA circuit in the $300,000 Carter Handicap, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses. The stakes-laden day also features the $250,000 Gazelle at nine furlongs for sophomore fillies offering 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers; the $200,000 Bay Shore, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores; and the $150,000 Excelsior at nine furlongs for older horses.

By Empire Maker and out of the Bernardini mare Spare Change, Roman Centurian finished fourth last out to the victorious Life Is Good in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita Park.

The dark bay colt, a $550,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, breezed back for the first time Thursday at Santa Anita covering a half-mile in 50.40 seconds.

"I think there's a very good chance that we will ship to New York," said Callaghan. "He breezed very well yesterday and we were happy. He'll breeze again next week and it's looking more likely that we'll come."

After a debut fourth sprinting in a maiden event won by Life Is Good in November at Del Mar, Roman Centurian stretched out to 1 1/16-miles for his second-out graduation on January 3 at Santa Anita. He exited that effort to finish a good second in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita, rallying from last-of-6 to miss by a neck to Medina Spirit in the 1 1/16-mile test.

Roman Centurian is currently 33rd on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 9 points. Callaghan said a trip to New York for the Wood Memorial, which offers 100-40-20-10 points to the top-four finishers, will suit the improving horse more than a return engagement with Life Is Good in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

"Life is Good is looking like a pretty formidable horse right now and I think that the track at Aqueduct will be more to his liking," said Callaghan. "We've always liked him. He made good progress from his maiden win to running a close second to Medina Spirit.

"I don't think the race set up very well for him last time," added Callaghan. "We're hoping that with another race under his belt and moving to a track that we think will be more to his liking, that we'll see a good performance to move him forward."

The Callaghan-trained Firing Line, who was also a runner-up in the Robert B. Lewis, finished second in the 2015 Kentucky Derby. The veteran conditioner, a native of Great Britain who set up his stable in Southern California in 2009, said Roman Centurian should appreciate the added distance in the nine-furlong Wood Memorial.

"He's a big, scopey two-turn kind of horse," said Callaghan. "I think he's got some progression in him. He's a nice framed horse who is going to strengthen as the year goes on. We're hoping we can have a good 3-year-old year with him."

A winner with 2-of-3 starters at the Big A, Callaghan scored with Taris in the 2015 Grade 3 Go for Wand and with Out of The Flames in the 2018 Mizdirection. He sent out Americanize to finish fourth in the 2017 Grade 1 Cigar Mile.

Callaghan said a local rider is likely to pick up the Wood mount aboard Roman Centurian.

A probable list of Wood Memorial contenders includes Brooklyn Strong (Daniel Velazquez), Crowded Trade (Chad Brown), Dynamic One (Todd Pletcher), Nicky the Vest (Jonathan Thomas), Overtook (Pletcher), Risk Taking (Brown), and Weyburn (Jimmy Jerkens). Also under consideration are Prevalence (Brendan Walsh) and Rombauer (Michael McCarthy).

G2 Wood Memorial within realm of possibility for Prevalence

March 14 - Two decisive victories to launch his career have the connections of Prevalence considering a start in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, the Godolphin homebred captured plenty of attention with a flashy and effortless 8 ½-length debut triumph going seven furlongs on January 23 at Gulfstream Park. The Medaglia d'Oro colt followed on Thursday at the South Florida oval with a three-length win going a one-turn mile, registering an 86 Beyer Speed Figure.

Jimmy Bell, President of Godolphin's North American division, said that how Prevalence runs in his next start will be a large deciding factor as to how the horse will be campaigned on the Triple Crown trail.

"His maiden win told us something, his allowance win told us even more and his next race will decide where we go from there. Each race is its own entity," Bell said. "We'll all be curious to see what his best distance is. He showed a nice step up from seven-eighths to a mile."

The Wood Memorial, along with the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 10 at Oaklawn Park and Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass on April 3 at Keeneland, are among the possible targets for Prevalence's graded stakes debut. All three races are Kentucky Derby qualifiers awarding 100-40-20-10 points to the top-four finishers.

"It becomes a question of where his energy level is and it comes down to a timing thing," Bell said. "His past races gave him some good experiences and when asked, he responded professionally."

A Kentucky homebred, Prevalence is out of the Ghostzapper mare Enrichment - a full-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Better Lucky and stakes-winning turf sprinter Final Frontier. All three are out of the graded stakes-winning Seeking the Gold mare Sahara Gold, whose dam was 1995 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Desert Stormer.

Brooklyn Strong works for G2 Wood Memorial

March 14 - Trainer Daniel Velazquez wanted to point Brooklyn Strong to last weekend's Grade 3 Gotham at the Big A, but after a minor illness and lack of works due to inclement weather at his Parx Racing base, the New York-bred colt is on target for the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 3 at Aqueduct.

On Saturday, Brooklyn Strong posted his third breeze since February 26, covering five-eighths in 1:01.13 on Saturday at Parx.

Velazquez was not on hand for the breeze after incurring a lacerated liver and torn bicep earlier Saturday morning in a training accident at the Bensalem, Pennsylvania oval. The conditioner said he expects to be released from hospital later this evening.

"He went by himself from the pole. Hopefully, we can hit one work a week up to the Wood," said Velazquez of Brooklyn Strong's breeze.

Owned by Mark Schwartz, the Wicked Strong bay is out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Riviera Chic. Bred in the Empire State by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan, Brooklyn Strong was purchased for $5,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training.

A winner at first asking in a one-mile maiden claimer in September at Delaware Park, Brooklyn Strong made his next two starts against state-breds at Belmont finishing third in the seven-furlong Bertram F. Bongard before capturing the one-turn mile Sleepy Hollow.

Brooklyn Strong stretched out to nine-furlongs on December 5 in the Grade 2 Remsen at the Big A and bested Ten for Ten by a neck to garner 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. A good result in the Wood, which offers 100-40-20-10 qualifying points, would put Brooklyn Strong in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May.

"We know he can get the nine furlongs, I just want to make sure that he's ready," said Velazquez. "We have another three weeks before the Wood and if we can get all the works in without interruption, I know we'll be ready."

Velazquez said he does not have a rider lined up yet for the Wood. Joel Rosario was in the irons for the Remsen score while Jose Ortiz had the call in the Sleepy Hollow.

Todd Pletcher has G2 Wood Memorial in mind for Dynamic One, Overtook

March 12 - Trainer Todd Pletcher shipped Dynamic One to New York from his winter division at Palm Beach Downs hoping for a performance worthy of pointing for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 3, and the Union Rags colt delivered with a 5 ¼-length maiden score going 1 1/8 miles on Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The nine-furlong Wood Memorial is the final local prep for the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs, offering 100-40-20-10 points to the top-four finishers.

Owned by Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, Dynamic One tracked a leisurely pace from second, assumed command outside the quarter-pole and powered home a decisive winner while registering a 79 Beyer Speed Figure in his fourth-out graduation.

Dynamic One has kept quality company, having finishing behind subsequent Grade 3 Gotham winner Weyburn in his November debut at the Big A, where he was a distant ninth as the beaten favorite. He shipped to Gulfstream for his following two starts at 1 1/16-miles, which included a runner-up effort to eventual dual graded stakes-winner Greatest Honour on December 26.

"We were hoping for that type of effort," Pletcher said. "He ran a good second at Gulfstream to Greatest Honour. We were unfortunate to draw the nine and eleven post in his last couple of starts at Gulfstream and it can be hard going a mile and a sixteenth from there. The intention was to see if he could earn his way into the Wood, and that's what he did."

Bred in Kentucky by co-owner Phipps Stable, Dynamic One is out of the Smart Strike mare Beat the Drums. His respective second and fourth dam are champions Storm Flag Flying and Personal Ensign. Dynamic One was a $725,000 purchase from the Claiborne Farm consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Pletcher will also be represented in the Wood Memorial by Grade 3 Withers runner-up Overtook, who is also being prepared at Palm Beach Downs.

Owned by Repole, and St. Elias Stable with Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Overtook finished behind eventual graded stakes-placed Nova Rags and stablemate Known Agenda in his first two starts before rallying from 10 lengths off the pace to graduate at third asking going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct on December 20.

"He's on target for the Wood also," Pletcher said. "There's a lot of options for a horse like him this time of year and we'll play everything by ear, but right now the goal is the Wood. He's trained excellent since the Withers."

Also purchased form the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Overtook was a $1 million acquisition from the Hill `n' Dale Sales Agency consignment and is by multiple champion producer Curlin out of the Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Got Lucky. He is a direct descendant of prestigious broodmares Numbered Account and La Troienne.

Pletcher seeks a sixth Wood victory having sent out Vino Rosso [2018], Outwork [2016], Verrazanno [2013], Gemologist [2012] and Eskendereya [2010] to wins in the prestigious race.