Nicky Boy's owner loses game of charades

Before the close of entries for the Wood Memorial Stakes, the New York Racing Association and Solange Chadda engaged in a game of charades regarding maiden three-year-old filly Nicky Boy.

The topic was song title. NYRA flailed its arms. Chadda guessed "Open Arms" by Journey, but NYRA was miming "Stop! In the Name of Love."

Chadda was on a van with her Anziyan Royalty filly heading to Aqueduct in New York City from Sunland Park in New Mexico when she learned that NYRA Director of Racing P.J. Campo denied Nicky Boy's entry into the Wood Memorial.

Chadda said that NYRA Stakes Coordinator Andrew Byrnes told her that she could run Nicky Boy in the Wood, and Campo said Wednesday morning before the close of entries that prominent trainers Todd Pletcher, Derek Ryan, and Nick Zito did not express concern about the presence of the filly in the starting gate.

Pletcher trains Eskendereya, Ryan trains Schoolyard Dreams, and Zito trains Jackson Bend. All three need at least a third-place finish in the Wood to have enough graded stakes earnings to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

But Chadda wants Nicky Boy to race in the Kentucky Derby, too, so she will try to enter her filly in the Arkansas Derby on April 10 at Oaklawn Park. In 2007, first-time starter Olympic Chief faced eventual Horse of the Year Curlin in the Arkansas Derby. He finished last of nine but amazingly was not the last betting choice, going off at 50-to-1 while the eventual eighth-place finisher was 52-to-1. Keeneland Race Course had refused to allow Olympic Chief to run in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes that same day.

What makes this story really interesting to me, is that the NYRA media relations team listed Nicky Boy as a probable starter in its Tuesday notes but did not mention that she was denied entry in its race advance. Clearly his presence was not a surprise, and from speaking with Chadda and Campo on Wednesday morning, it sounds as if her impression that Nicky Boy would have been able to enter was correct.

Someone pointed out to me that the "X" factor in all this could be that NYRA ultimately attracted six entries for the Wood, which is the threshold for offering certain types of exotic wagering. Had Most Happy Fella not entered, then Nicky's Boy's entry would have gotten NYRA to six, but once NYRA had a half dozen without the maiden filly, they really had no need for her.