Sore Shoulder Knocks Kid Cruz Out of Wood

TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial (gr. I) contender Kid Cruz will miss the $1 million race April 5 due to a sore shoulder, trainer Linda Rice said.

"He was showing a little soreness after his last race and after he breezed Wednesday, he was not quite up to where we wanted him to be at this point," Rice said April 4. "It's disappointing, but we'll give him some more time between races and possibly look at the Illinois Derby (gr. III)."

Kid Cruz, who was 20-1 on the Wood's morning line, won the Private Terms Stakes at Laurel Park by four lengths March 8. In his only work since then, the son of Lemon Drop Kid  breezed five furlongs on the Belmont Park training track April 2 in 1:02.02. The Illinois Derby is April 19 at Hawthorne Racecourse.

Rice trains the bay colt for Vina Del Mar Thoroughbreds and Black Swan Stable. Kid Cruz, who is named for New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, was claimed for $50,000 last November by Vina Del Mar Thoroughbreds from Black Swan Stable, which later bought back a share of the colt. Overall, he is 2-1-0 from four starts with earnings of $101,375.