Congaree, shown winning the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.
Stonerside Stable's Wood Memorial (gr. II) winner Congaree will not run in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I), according to a Sports Ticker report. Trainer Bob Baffert will instead give the colt some time off and might run the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) third-place finisher on turf when he returns to the races, according to the report."He ran his heart out again," Baffert says in the report. "I'll freshen him up now, give him some time off. When I bring him back, maybe we'll try him on grass. I think a mile and an eighth will suit him."Congaree raced in close attendance to a grueling pace in the Derby before being nipped at the wire for second place by Invisible Ink. In the Preakness, Congaree tracked pacesetter Richly Blended through moderate fractions and again missed second-place money when caught in deep stretch by A P Valentine. The 3-year-old son of Arazi, out of the Mari's Book mare Mari's Sheba, has won three of six career starts and earned $697,400.
