Two horses that were expected to be entered in Saturday’s $750,000 Wood
Memorial (G1) — LIKE NOW (Jules) and SHOWING UP (Strategic Mission) — will
miss the nine-furlong event at Aqueduct due to physical issues.
Like Now, the speedy upset winner over Keyed Entry (Honour and Glory) in the
March 18 Gotham S. (G3), spiked a fever, according to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin,
who will saddle Jazil (Seeking the Gold) instead.
“We were really looking to run Like Now back because he was doing so well at
Aqueduct and liked it over there,” McLaughlin said. “We don’t know what we’re
going to do now. We’ll just play it day by day.”
McLaughlin said his crew first noticed the temperature Tuesday
evening. The setback could seriously hamper Like Now’s chances of making the May
6 Kentucky Derby (G1).
McLaughlin mentioned next Saturday’s Blue Grass S. (G1) at
Keeneland, the Lexington S. (G2) at Keeneland on April 22, and the Withers S.
(G3) at Aqueduct on April 29 as possible next starts.
Showing Up, who is undefeated in two starts at Gulfstream Park,
has a foot bruise. The chestnut worked five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 at Gulfstream
Park on Sunday.
“It must have happened in his work down in Florida,” said Robin
Smullen, assistant to trainer Barclay Tagg, who discovered the injury Wednesday
afternoon. “We’ll try to make next weekend.”
Next weekend’s premier stakes races for three-year-olds are the
Blue Grass and the Arkansas Derby (G2) at Oaklawn Park.