Trainer Chuck Lawrence has confirmed to NYRA’s publicity office that promising three-year-old Surfside Moon, owned by Manor Stable and Mair Lee Stables, will not compete in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The decision comes after the colt’s training schedule was disrupted by illness, forcing a change in plans.

He could instead target the $150,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park April 19. The “win today – see you in May” Tesio is contested at 1 1/8 miles and offers the winner free entry to the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes to be run at Pimlico May 17.

“He came down with a little virus after the Withers and we gave him a few weeks off, so unfortunately we’ll have to miss the Wood,” said Lawrence. “I’ve still got a nice horse, so that’s the main thing.”

A chestnut son of Malibu Moon, Surfside Moon last raced on February 1 in the listed $250,000 Withers at Aqueduct, where he turned in a strong performance to finish second behind Captain Cook. Under rider Sahin Civaci, he rallied from fifth in a field of seven, closing gamely to finish just 2 1/4 lengths behind the winner. The effort earned him a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure, signaling his growing potential.

Surfside Moon broke his maiden in August at Delaware Park, winning on turf at one mile in his third career start. He was unplaced in his next two efforts, both stakes races—the off-the-turf edition of the Laurel Futurity in September and the listed Awad at Aqueduct in October, contested at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

“He worked well on the dirt, and he broke his maiden on the turf because we couldn’t find any longer races on the dirt,” Lawrence said. “He ran well there, so we tried him in the Awad, which was kind of a wash since he was boxed in the whole way.”

Bred in Pennsylvania by Equivine Farm LLC, Surfside Moon was a $60,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale. He is out of Crescent Lady, a winning daughter of Scat Daddy and a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed New York-bred Make Mischief as well as Jody’s Song, dam of Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Jody’s Pride.

Looking ahead, Lawrence noted that a potential target for Surfside Moon later this spring is the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes, scheduled for May 10 at Aqueduct.

While Lawrence has yet to saddle a runner in a Triple Crown race, he is no stranger to success. His top trainee to date is Glorious Empire, a Grade 1 winner on turf.

With time and continued development, Surfside Moon may yet emerge as a top contender later in the season.

“Right from the get-go, he was one of those horses that did everything right. I’m not a real speed, short distance trainer, and everything told me he was a nice horse and wanted two turns,” Lawrence said. “He’s a lovely horse. Great personality, neat horse to train, and hopefully we have a lot of fun with him this late spring and summer.”