Shagaf Looks to Step Up for Shadwell

Shadwell's previously unbeaten Mohaymen (Tapit) could do no better than fourth in last week's GI Xpressbet.com Florida Derby, but 'TDN Rising Star' Shagaf (Bernardini) could pick up the slack for Sheikh Hamdan's operation in Saturday's GI Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. A six-length debut winner going a local mile Nov. 22, the well-pedigreed homebred lived up to serious hype to annex a Gulfstream optional claimer Jan. 29. Making his stakes debut over a speed-friendly Big A inner in the GIII Gotham S. Mar. 5, he called on his class late to rally past loose-on-the-lead Laoban (Uncle Mo), who is entered in Keeneland's GI Blue Grass S. The immature Adventist (Any Given Saturday), third in the GIII Withers S. two back, rounded out the trifecta again in the Gotham. “Shagaf is in great form,” conditioner Chad Brown told the NYRA notes team. “He's only raced three times and, each time, he's done everything we've asked. He seems to be in a nice forward progression in his development. We've always loved the horse and, hopefully, we see another step on Saturday.”

Brown, who sent out Normandy Invasion (Tapit) to a runner-up finish in the 2013 Wood, also saddles Flexibility (Bluegrass Cat). Second to Mohaymen in both the GII Nashua S. and GII Remsen S. last November, the bay got out from under that runner's shadow to annex the GIII Jerome S. by daylight at short odds on the inner track Jan. 2. He failed to come through for the chalk bettors last time, however, checking in fourth in the Withers.

“Obviously, Flexibility is coming off a layoff that he has to contend with,” said Brown. “But he's coming into the race a fresher, sharper, horse right now than maybe he was in the Withers. Maybe it was too much racing for him in a short amount of time, so we've freshened him up and he seems to be training well.”

Uncle Mo's first loss came when he checked in third at 10 cents on the dollar in the 2011 Wood, but his son Outwork has a chance to make up for that finish for the same Mike Repole/Todd Pletcher team. The son of GISP Nonna Mia (Empire Maker) was the first winner almost a year ago at Keeneland for his freshman sire during what would prove a record-breaking season, but was shelved himself for the rest of 2015. He returned to easily best Tampa allowance rivals Feb. 13, and set the pace before settling for a solid second to stablemate Destin (Giant's Causeway) in the GII Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 12.

Outwork figures to keep Lady Sheila Stable's highly regarded Matt King Coal (Cool Coal Man) company on the front end. Third in a productive grass maiden at the Spa in August, the $250,000 OBS April pick-up missed by just a nose to the Chad Brown-trained subsequent Remsen third Gift Box (Twirling Candy) in a rained-off Belmont affair Oct. 3. He aired by 5 3/4 lengths at Big Sandy 26 days later, and picked up right where he left off to defeat 'TDN Rising Star' and Blue Grass contender My Man Sam (Trappe Shot) in a Mar. 6 optional claimer going a sixteenth shorter over the inner.