Wicked Strong readies for seasonal bow in Gulfstream Park 'Cap

Wicked Strong (Hard Spun), winner of the 2014 Wood Memorial (G1) and

Jim Dandy S. (G2), is targeting the $300,000 Gulfstream Park H. (G2) on March

7 as his four-year-old debut, according to trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

The bay colt has not raced since clipping heels,

stumbling and unseating jockey Rajiv Maragh in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1)

last September. Also second by a nose to stablemate V. E.

Day (English Channel) in the Travers S. (G1), Wicked Strong appeared to be full of run at the time of the incident

but never got a chance to prove himself that day.

Following the race, having not

been able to get all that he could have out of his potential Breeders' Cup

Classic (G1) prep, the colt was given the rest of the year off, his connections

opting to focus on a 2015 campaign.

Wicked Strong was also fourth in both the Kentucky Derby (G1)

and Belmont S. (G1), the latter of which he dead-heated with Derby and

Preakness S. (G1) winner California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit). He has been training steadily for his

comeback at Gulfstream's satellite training facility Palm Meadows, returning to

the worktab in early January and most recently breezing five furlongs in

1:00 Saturday morning, the fastest move of 26 workers at the distance.

Jerkens was pleased with the work, which he said was

designed to prepare Wicked Strong for the challenge of contending with top

milers in his first race back.

"He worked pretty even all the way," Jerkens said. "It might have been a

little fast early and a little slower at the end than we usually do, but a mile

around one turn is a hard race. We thought he'd have to run pretty hard just to

keep in touch with those kind of horses, so we thought he needed a good blow

yesterday. Plus, we have time to come back and kind of do something else, too."