Taj Mahal Looks to Step Up in Wood Memorial

[Wandering Eyes]

Taj Mahal (Nyquist), two-for-two after winning the Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Feb. 21, is expected to make his next start in the Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial, Tom Ryan of co-owner SF Racing confirmed Sunday.

“The notion is he'll take his shot in the Wood Memorial,” Ryan said. “He's done nothing wrong so far, and he's ran himself up the ladder while improving his numbers. He's got some nice time in between after his first two starts were close together. I personally believe the distance is not going to be an issue for him, the question is just if he has the ability to compete with the field that will line up.”

Trained by Brittany Russell, Taj Mahal won his six-furlong debut at Laurel Park Feb. 6. He broke slowly that day and tracked in last-of-six under Sheldon Russell before pouncing with a four-wide bid to take the lead in upper stretch, powering home strongly to post the 4 1/4-length score in a final time of 1:12.42 and earning a 73 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

Just 15 days later, Taj Mahal wheeled back for the one-turn mile Miracle Wood, where he switched up his tactics and took a 2 1/2-length lead early after a clean break under Russell. He was met with an outside challenge from Let's Go Lando in the turn, and the two slugged it out down the lane with Taj Mahal prevailing by a neck in a final time of 1:39.47 over the muddy and sealed footing. He improved his Beyer to an 86 in victory.

“That stakes came back up two weeks off his first run, but we felt in his first run he did it all well within himself,” Ryan said. “Brittany said he gave all the indications he had come out of it the right way and was enjoying himself. He lined right back up there, changed tactics, and went coast-to-coast. It was lovely to see some versatility, and it feels like he's got a good mind. He was in California for a while before we brought him East and it's all worked out the way it was supposed to. He seems to act better on the East Coast surfaces than on the West.”

Taj Mahal returned to the work tab on Sunday, covering a half-mile in :50.80 (48/55) over the Laurel Park dirt.

Also looking to step up to graded company in the Wood is Tom Coulter's Red Zone Runner (Practical Joke), who was a romping 15 1/2-length winner of the Mar. 3 City of Brotherly Love Stakes at Parx.

“We nominated him. That's the plan, this is where we are aiming,” trainer Hugo Padilla said. “So far, that's the plan because the horse came out of his last race absolutely outstanding. He's doing very well, he's very happy. We couldn't have asked for any better.”

Red Zone Runner was making his first start for Padilla in the 1 1/16-mile City of Brotherly Love following his four outings for trainer Erin McClellan, including stakes thirds in the Pennsylvania-bred Pennsylvania Nursery in November at Parx and the open-company Heft Stakes in December at Laurel Park.

“The whole time I've had this horse, I've seen him growing, getting better and better,” Padilla said. “I was trying to run him earlier than his last race going longer, to get the lungs and the stamina to stretch him out, but I could not get races to go anywhere. We just took a shot at the stakes. We hoped for the best and he showed us he could handle the distance. He did it easily. He was impressive.”

Bravaro | Coglianese

Also aiming for the Wood is Bravaro (Upstart), who won his first two starts at Aqueduct before a runner-up effort in the Jan. 31 GIII Holy Bull Stakes and fourth-place effort in the Feb. 28 GII Fountain of Youth Stakes.

“The plan is that if all stays well and he's healthy, we'll go to the Wood,” said Niall Brennan, whose wife Stephanie Brennan is breeder and co-owner of the bay colt. “He's won on the track twice and we're confident he's a very nice horse. Whether he's a Derby horse, that remains to be seen. Obviously, he would have to show up in the Wood to progress on, but we feel like we've got a really nice New York-bred for the summer. We'll give him a shot and see if he belongs with that group, or we'll plan a different route for the summer.”

The Brennans, well-known for their Ocala training center, keep about six broodmares at Ascendant Farm outside Saratoga Springs to foal each spring.

“We've always had our mares in New York. We like to have New York-breds and it makes sense for us,” Brennan said. “We aren't big breeders–we are more into training and the farm here [in Florida], but being New York-bred gives us more value if we are selling and if we end up racing them, the purses and awards are huge, so that's why we have them. The reality is that people want to race where the purses are healthy, and having the New York-bred stakes program is a big help. Outside of Kentucky, it's tough to be anywhere else.”

As a juvenile, Bravaro went a perfect two-for-two against fellow state-breds at the Big A, graduating by one length in his six-furlong debut in September en route to a 2 1/2-length annexing of the state-bred Sleepy Hollow Stakes when stretched out to a one-turn mile in October.

“Physically, he's always been a nice horse. He's a fabulous-looking horse, is about 16.1 [hands], and he's a tall and powerful colt,” Brennan said. “He was a very nice yearling, and a very nice 2-year-old. This time last year, we had him entered in the sale, but he dug a huge hole to China in his stall at the sales grounds and gave himself a foot bruise, so he ended up scratching from the sale.

“Things happen for a reason, and a guy who works for me was friends with Albert Ciuffetelli in New York, and they were looking for a racehorse,” Brennan continued. “We stayed in, and Al and his son are very excited and their whole family is involved. That's what the whole game is about–introducing people like this to the passion of it. We're excited to be partners, and [trainer] Saffie [Joseph] is still very high on him. We know he'll have a good career.”

The nine-furlong Wood Memorial offers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

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