ContinuedJockey Richard Migliore will team up with Peter Karches'
Kissin Saint for the gem of Saturday's card, the Wood Memorial, and then will try to boot home 9-year-old Affirmed Success to a second Carter victory.
Migliore got his first impression of Kissin Saint almost two weeks ago, guiding the colt to a length victory in an Aqueduct allowance race. Kissin Saint, who was returning from a seven-week layoff prompted by a leg infection that day, looked like he was in trouble passing the eighth pole, but dug in and turned back a prolonged bid from Go Rockin' Robin. Saturday, he shoots for his fourth straight victory while making his stakes debut for trainer Lisa Lewis.
"I thought it was a good effort," Migliore said. "It was deceptively stronger than it appeared. There wasn't much pace in the race and I wanted to get him into a good spot before we got to the first turn. He collared Look Out Evan fairly easily and maybe a little too early. We kind of got by him earlier than I had wanted. (Kissin Saint) has a tendency to lope once he gets on the lead. He was waiting on Go Rockin' Robin, but once he came to us, my horse had an answer. We could've gone around again, and Go Rockin' Robin would have never got by. "I like this horse very much. He's a big, rugged colt. I think he's got a great deal of potential, but this is a big step up. It'll be a good test for him to show where he fits with the better three-year-olds."
On Monday morning, Kissin Saint had his final pre-Wood workout when breezing four furlongs over Belmont's training track in :49. Migliore was in the irons. "He was strong," Migliore said. He was pulling me so hard. My stomach still hurts from trying to hold him."
Watching the WoodThe 79th Wood Memorial is the eighth race on Aqueduct's live 10-race card. Post time will be 4:15 p.m., Eastern. The Wood Memorial is the first leg of the Big 3 Pick 3 and will be followed by the Toyota Blue Grass (5:15 p.m.) and the Arkansas Derby (5:45 p.m.) ESPN will televise the Wood Memorial live during its one-hour telecast that begins at 3:30 p.m.
NBC will show a taped delay of the Wood Memorial, along with live coverage of the Blue Grass and Arkansas Derby. Other stakes on the Wood Memorial card are the grade I Carter and grade III Bay Shore, both at seven furlongs. There will be a Pick 3 linking all three Aqueduct stakes. The Bay Shore will be the first race in that sequence, going as race seven with a 3:45 p.m. post.
The coordinates for the Wood Memorial satellite media feed, which will run from 2--2:30 p.m. Eastern for race footage, interviews, b-roll and excerpts of the post position draw are:
GE AMERICOM--677504 AMC 1C
Transponder 10 Audio 6.2 / 6.8
AMC 1C is C-Band, feed is in the clear.
