Never headed in four starts last year, Robert LaPenta’s War Pass was named two-year-old champion following a phenomenal season that included Grade 1 wins in Belmont Park’s Champagne and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at sloppy Monmouth Park.

At the close of 2007, War Pass’s resume was sure to make him the favorite for the Kentucky Derby.

After two starts in 2008, even those most enamored with the son of 1994 sprint champion Cherokee Run have to be wondering which horse will show up in Saturday’s 84th running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Wood Memorial, the last stop in New York for three-year-olds hoping to make the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3rd.

The Wood will be race nine of 11 with a 5:15 p.m. EDT post. NBC will televise the Wood and Santa Anita Derby in a one-hour show from 5 to 6 p.m. Aqueduct will guarantee a $400,000 Pick Four pool featuring all stakes, also including the Grade 1 Carter Handicap, Grade 3 Excelsior Handicap and Grade 3 Bay Shore.

In his 2008 debut, War Pass could not have won any easier or looked any better. Running in a hand-picked allowance spot at Gulfstream Park on February 24th, the gifted colt blew away four rivals in what essentially turned out to be a paid workout. What happened in his next start stumped many students of the game, including his Hall of Fame trainer, Nick Zito.

Sent off the 1-20 favorite in the Tampa Bay Derby, War Pass stopped badly in the stretch after he was bumped at the start and could not make the lead. In the end, he was beaten 23 ¼ lengths in a last-place effort.

“For whatever reason, he just didn’t show up,” Zito explained the humbling loss. “You want to be confident and draw a line through the Tampa race.”

War Pass had his only work between the Tampa Bay Derby and the Wood Memorial on March 27th, going a half-mile in :47 2/5 at Palm Meadows in Florida.

“His work last week was great,” said Zito. “From what I can see, he’s going to put in a good effort.”

With a forecast for heavy rain Friday, War Pass could make his third start over a wet track. To this point he is 2-for-2 over non-fast surfaces, including his Juvenile triumph at Monmouth last fall. If he gets a wet track Saturday and comes away from the gate cleanly, it could spell big trouble for the other nine horses in the Wood.

“I’m apprehensive, excited, happy -- and cautious,” Zito said. “I’m a fan, too, and I want to see a horse like War Pass run big. I always have confidence when I have War Pass.”

Cornelio Velasquez will ride War Pass from post five. Zito’s other starter in the race, longshot Anak Nakal, will break from post 10 with Alan Garcia. Anak Nakal will be equipped with blinkers.

With War Pass and several other Wood contenders coming off sub-par efforts, this race could be a good spot for trainer Todd Pletcher to strike at a price. Pletcher has Gotham runner-up Texas Wildcatter and allowance winner Spurrier going in the Wood.

Over a sloppy track in a foggy Gotham, Texas Wildcatter emerged from the murkiness with a clear lead, only to be nailed at the wire by Visionaire. Although it was a tough beat, Pletcher was happy to see the son of 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos run the best race of his career.

“We put blinkers on him for the Gotham and that really made a difference,” Pletcher said. “He lost focus on the far turn of the Whirlaway, so we thought the blinkers would help.”

Texas Wildcatter has now put three solid races together. With only $50,000 in graded stakes earnings, he’ll need to run well in the Wood to have enough earnings to get him into the Kentucky Derby.

“He’s improved his performance with each race and part of that is due to maturity,” Pletcher said. “He showed he belongs with these the last time.”

Texas Wildcatter will break from the rail with Eibar Coa. His stablemate, Spurrier, will break right to his outside with Stewart Elliott.

“This is a real big step up for Spurrier, but he’s also improved with blinkers,” Pletcher said. “I’m interested to see where he fits.”

Spurrier is named Steve Spurrier, a former Heisman Trophy winner and head football coach at the University of South Carolina.

Like Zito and Pletcher, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will also have two in the Wood Memorial. Court Vision and Inner Light will be coupled as they are both owned by IEAH Stables.

Court Vision won the Grade 2 Remsen over the Wood Memorial distance and Aqueduct’s main track last fall. His lone start of 2008 was a third-place finish behind Cool Coal Man in the Fountain of Youth February 24th.

“It was his first race back and he ran well, considering he was on a speed-favoring racetrack,” Mott said. “He was pretty far back, and he wasn’t going to make up any kind of ground on that track.”

Inner Light, who like Court Vision is owned by IEAH Stable and WinStar Farm, is a son of Songandaprayer who won a one-mile Gulfstream Park allowance on March 7.

“We’ve kind of looked at the Wood for awhile for Inner Light and we decided to give him a chance to play the game,” Mott said. “He’s always been overanxious, but he seemed to settle much better in his last race. Will he handle two turns? We don’t know for sure, but he seems he is heading in the right direction.”

Tale of Ekati, last year’s Futurity winner at Belmont, will be making his second start of 2008. He made his seasonal debut March 8th at Fair Grounds finishing a non-threatening sixth in the Louisiana Derby.

“He ran alright,” trainer Barclay Tagg said of the Louisiana Derby. “His head was turned at the start, so he got away from the gate bad and that ruined his chances.”

Three other horses that competed over the inner track this winter complete the Wood field.

Giant Moon suffered his first defeat in the Gotham with an uncharacteristically bad effort over the sloppy track. Essentially eased in the Gotham, Giant Moon should be the one closest to War Pass early on.

Roman Emperor was beaten by Giant Moon in the Count Fleet and finished fourth in the Gotham. He is by 2004 Wood winner Empire Maker.

The rank outsider in the Wood will be First Commandment, who comes off an entry-level allowance win for New York-breds.