Tonalist knocked out of Wood by lung infection

Tonalist shown earlier this month at Payson Park (Courtesy of Christophe Clement via Twitter) Promising three-year-old Tonalist will miss Saturday’s Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct after coming down with a lung infection, the Christophe Clement stable confirmed via Twitter on Monday. “Unfortunately, Tonalist has a minor lung infection that we will take care of,” Clement’s team tweeted. “Consequently, he will not be running in the Wood.” Most recently second to subsequent Florida Derby winner Constitution in a loaded allowance at Gulfstream Park on February 22, he had previously broken his maiden by four impressive lengths at the same venue. Like Constitution, Tonalist is by the fashionable sire Tapit, whose other headliners at the moment include Southwest hero Tapiture, Tampa Bay Derby victor Ring Weekend and Fair Grounds Oaks romper Untapable. Tonalist’s dam, Settling Mist, is a daughter of 1981 Kentucky Derby and Preakness-winning champion Pleasant Colony, from the superb family of Horse of the Year Havre de Grace.

In other Wood Memorial news:

Unbeaten Social Inclusion arrived at Aqueduct at approximately 3 a.m. (EDT)
on Monday after departing Gulfstream Park by van on Sunday, according to a
tweet from owner
Ronald Sanchez. 

Social Inclusion, who is trained by Manuel Azpurua, settled in barn 4 at
Aqueduct and is expected to gallop up to the Wood Memorial, which will be his
first start away from Gulfstream and third overall. He won a six-furlong maiden
race by 7 1/2 lengths on February 22 and a 1 1/16-mile open allowance race by 10
lengths on March 12, defeating Honor Code in the latter while setting a track
record of 1:40.97.

Kristo, most recently third in the San Felipe, 13 1/2 lengths behind winner
California Chrome, is scheduled to arrive at Aqueduct Tuesday for the Wood
Memorial, his first start outside California. Trainer John Sadler said the bay
son of Distorted Humor worked well at Santa Anita on Sunday, covering six
furlongs in a bullet 1:12 2/5.

“In his last race, we changed his running style and took him back a
speed-favoring track and that probably was a mistake,” said Sadler of Kristo,
who is 1-3-1 from five career starts. “He ran much better in the Sham before
that (second to Midnight Hawk) and we think he deserves one more chance.”

Kristo is looking to emulate the Wood success of California invaders such as
I Want Revenge (2009), Bob and John (2006), Congaree (2001) and Fusaichi Pegasus
(2000).

Accompanying Kristo on the flight will be Grade 3 Bay Shore hopeful Kobe’s
Back, who won the San Vincente by 5 1/4 lengths but then was seventh of eight
after being rank early in the  Rebel at Oaklawn Park. The California-based
Sadler’s last graded stakes win in New York was the 1993 Bay Shore with Three
Peat.

Uncle Sigh, runner up to fellow New York-bred Samraat in the Withers and
Gotham, will “hopefully” have his final tune up for the Wood over the Belmont
Park training track Tuesday morning, according to trainer Gary Contessa. 

“Ideally, I would like to breeze him an easy half-mile tomorrow,” Contessa
said. “We’ll have to see what it’s like. If not tomorrow, then we’ll do it on
Wednesday.”

Corey Nakatani, who was aboard for Uncle Sigh’s neck defeat in the Gotham,
will return aboard Uncle Sigh for the 1 1/8-mile Wood, Contessa confirmed.

First race post time for Saturday’s 12-race card will be 1 p.m., with the
Wood scheduled as the 10TH race with an approximate post time of 5:40 p.m. Gates
open at 11 a.m., and guests will be able to pick up a TwinSpires.com Wood
Memorial baseball cap with the purchase of a full Post Parade program or a
coupon, while supplies last.

Also Saturday, NYRA is offering a $500,000 Guaranteed All-Graded Stakes Pick
4 beginning with the 8TH race and comprising the Grade 2 Gazelle, the Bay Shore,
the Wood and the Grade 1 Carter Handicap.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com