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Post by Jon on Aug 26, 2013 21:10:22 GMT -5
Woodward
60th Running on Saturday, August 31, 2013
$750,000 1 1/8 3&UP (Dirt) Grade: I
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 26, 2013 21:11:46 GMT -5
A Look Ahead to the 2013 Woodward Stakes
August 26, 2013 by Gerard Apadula
isports web
Looking ahead to next weekend, it looks as though the 2013 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga will be attracting most of the best older horses in training.
At this writing, scheduled to run in the $750,000, one and a quarter mile Grade: 1 race are: (in no particular order)
*Successful Dan- the half brother to the sensational Wise Dan, who was second in the Aug. 3 Whitney Handicap, worked five furlongs last Tuesday in 1:01.1.
*Fort Larned- the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner who ran a disappointing fifth in the Whitney last time out, worked five furlongs in 1:01 flat for trainer Ian Wilkes.
Wilkes, who was pleased with the effort, said “I did a longer work with him, just a bit longer since he can stride along good, a naturally fast horse, I got what I wanted and I was very pleased. He’s doing good.”
When asked about his Whitney defeat Wilkes answered: “What can I say? We got beat, he broke a little slow, but bottom line, got beat. We’ll let him bounce back and just keep moving forward toward the end goal.”
* The amazing Paynter is schedule to ship across the country to run in the Woodward also according to owner Ahmed Zayat. The big, good looking colt worked seven furlongs in 1:25 3/5 at Del Mar on Aug. 20
Paynter went the first five-furlongs in 1:00 3/5 to the wire and finished up on the turn in :25.
Ahmed Zayat said the colt galloped out a mile in a “very strong” 1:38 and called the work “awesome.”
“He’s really doing great,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “I loved the way he worked today. He was a little fresh last time (in the San Diego), but since then he’s really trained well. He’s an amazing horse. If you look at him you’d never know what he’s been through. The Woodward is going to be a tough race, but we’re going in prepared and just hope for the best.”
This will be the son of Awesome Again’s third race back as his remarkable comeback from near death (colitis and laminitis) story continues.
After winning the fight of his life (literally) he made his first start on June 14 at HollywoodPark when he crushed his foes by 4 1/2 lengths in a sharp 1:21.4 for the seven furlongs. In his next start, the 1 1/16 miles in San Diego Handicap, he finished a good second, beaten a half-length by Kettle Corn.
Baffert and jockey Rafael Bejarano felt he didn’t care for the Polytrack, and after discussing it with Ahmed and Justin Zayat it was decided to ship east and run the colt on dirt rather than stay at (polytrack) Del Mar for the 1 1/4-mile Pacific Classic… where he would have to face Dullahan and Game On Dude.
Other likely entrants include major stakes winners Cross Traffic, Mucho Macho Man and Flat Out.
Flat Out went five furlongs in a bullet 1:01.3 on the Oklahoma Training Track last Monday.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 26, 2013 21:17:56 GMT -5
The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. Named for prominent racehorse owner, George Nicholas Woodward, it is run at 1 1⁄8 miles (1,800 m) on the dirt for a purse of $750,000.
The Woodward was run as a handicap in 1954, 1955, and in 1976 and 1977. From 1957 through 1975 it was a weight-for-age event, and was run as an allowance stakes from 1977 through 1987. The race returned to being a handicap event in 1988, 1989, and 1990 then reverted to a weight-for-age race in 1991.
Originally run at Aqueduct Racetrack and most recently at Belmont Park, the Woodward was moved to Saratoga Race Course for its 53rd running in 2006. All three racetracks are operated by the New York Racing Association.
This race is to honor the memory of Belair Stud's William Woodward, Sr., a dedicated horseman, who was chairman of the Jockey Club from 1930 to 1950.
In 2009 Rachel Alexandra became the first female to win the Woodward facing older males for the first time. Only one other 3-year-old filly had ever run in the Woodward: Summer Guest in 1972. She finished second to Key to the Mint before being disqualified and placed third. Then in 2011 Havre De Grace a 4 year old filly became the 2nd filly to win the Woodward, but unlike Rachel Alexandra, this was the 1st time Havre De Grace had faced males at all.
Since its inception, the Woodward Stakes has been run at a variety of distances:
1 mile - 1954
1⅛ miles - 1955, 1976–1977, 1981–1987, 1990 to present
1¼ miles - 1956-1971, 1978–1980, 1988–1989
1½ miles - 1972-1975
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Post by Evelyn on Aug 27, 2013 7:57:55 GMT -5
Fort Larned tunes up for Woodward
By Mike WelschDRF
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Ian Wilkes was obviously disappointed in Fort Larned’s fifth-place finish as the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 1 Whitney here earlier this month. But instead of looking back on what might have been, Wilkes is thinking ahead to what he hopes will be a bounce-back performance for the reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic champion in Saturday’s Grade 1 Woodward.
Fort Larned turned in his final prep for the Woodward here early Monday morning, working five-eighths in 1:00.74 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.38 with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard.
“I asked Brian to fly in for the work because I wanted him back on the horse again before the race,” Wilkes said. “It was just the type of work I wanted, especially the way he galloped out. Brian said he was very happy with him, and so was I.”
Wilkes offered no excuses for Fort Larned’s performance in the Whitney.
“I’m not going to dwell on it,” said Wilkes, who won Monday’s second race with Ocean Boulevard. “I think the handicap division is unbelievably strong this year. There were a lot of good horses in that race, and there will be a lot of good ones in this one. We’ll see how the post position draw goes before plotting out any strategy, and I’m really looking forward to running him back here Saturday.”
Fort Larned was one of two Woodward candidates to work Monday, along with Flat Out, who posted a bullet half-mile in 48.30 seconds over the Oklahoma training track. Three others, Whitney winner Cross Traffic, Mucho Macho Man, and Ron the Greek had their final preps Sunday.
A field of eight is shaping up for the Woodward and also figures to include Alpha, Successful Dan, and Paynter.
Trainer Todd Pletcher said he is still not 100 percent certain whether Cross Traffic will run in the Woodward or await the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Sept. 28. Cross Traffic worked after the renovation break in company with his undefeated stablemate Eastwood on Sunday, the pair going an easy half-mile in 48.12 seconds before galloping out five-eighths in 1:00.99 and pulling up six furlongs in 1:13.94.
“There’s a good chance he’ll be entered, and I’d say it’s probably more likely he’ll run here than he won’t run,” Pletcher said. “The horse is here, he’s doing well, and he won the Whitney over this racetrack, but he also ran very well at Belmont. The deciding factor will be what I think gives us the best chance to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic.”
Trainer Bill Mott confirmed Monday that he plans to run both Flat Out and Ron the Greek in the Woodward. Ron the Greek worked an easy half-mile in 49.30 over the Oklahoma training track Sunday. Flat Out has not started since winning the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap at Belmont on July 6. Ron the Greek finished fourth in the Whitney.
“Ron was bucking and squealing yesterday, and [exercise rider] Neil [Poznansky] said Flat Out gave him a very good feeling this morning,” Mott said after training hours Monday. “We had the option with Flat Out to run in the Whitney coming off his win in the Suburban, but we worked him and felt he wasn’t on his game 100 percent. He’s had issues with his feet, and we felt we needed a little more time. With that being said, we pointed for the Woodward. We didn’t want to skip them both.”
Mott will need a new rider for Ron the Greek, with his regular rider, Jose Lezcano, set to miss the next four weeks with a wrist injury suffered in a spill here Sunday.
Mucho Macho Man, who finished third in the Whitney, breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:03.55 under jockey Edgar Prado on Sunday, completing his final quarter in 24.86 without urging before galloping out six furlongs in 1:16.31.
“It was perfect,” trainer Kathy Ritvo said. “I just wanted an easy five-eighths and for him to gallop out well, and that’s exactly what he did. Edgar said he felt great. He was really happy with him, that he just kind of tugged him around there. I think he’ll be a stronger horse on Saturday than he was in the Whitney. He’s a big, muscular horse, so the third race in the cycle should be his best one. He’s definitely matured and grown over the past year, and I think he’s as good as, if not better, going into this race than he was last summer.”
Mucho Macho Man finished second, beaten a neck by To Honor and Serve, in the 2012 Woodward.
“It was perfect,” trainer Kathy Ritvo said. “I just wanted an easy five-eighths and for him to gallop out well, and that’s exactly what he did. Edgar said he felt great. He was really happy with him, that he just kind of tugged him around there. I think he’ll be a stronger horse on Saturday than he was in the Whitney. He’s a big, muscular horse, so the third race in the cycle should be his best one. He’s definitely matured and grown over the past year, and I think he’s as good as, if not better, going into this race than he was last summer.”
Mucho Macho Man finished second, beaten a neck by To Honor and Serve, in the 2012 Woodward.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 28, 2013 8:41:49 GMT -5
Cross Traffic to skip Woodward, run in Jockey Club Gold Cup
By David Grening
DRF
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Whitney winner Cross Traffic will skip Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes and instead point to the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 28 at Belmont Park, trainer Todd Pletcher said Wednesday morning.
Pletcher said he wanted to run Cross Traffic only one more time before the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 2 and felt the 1 1/4-mile Gold Cup was a better way to get there than the 1 1/8-mile Woodward.
“Getting a race at a mile and a quarter five weeks out puts us in a better position for the Classic than a mile-and-an-eighth race nine weeks out,” Pletcher said.
After tough losses in the Grade 3 Westchester and Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, Cross Traffic won the Grade 1 Whitney here on Aug. 3 in front-running fashion, earning a 108 Beyer Speed Figure. He beat Successful Dan by three-quarters of a length.
Pletcher said the Woodward would have meant running Cross Traffic “four weeks back off a big effort."
"Tough decision but felt like there were a few more pros going the other way,” he said.
The defection of Cross Traffic probably leaves Successful Dan and Paynter vying for favoritism in the Woodward.
On Wednesday, a few hours before the draw, Successful Dan blew out three furlongs in 37 seconds through the fog over the main track.
Others expected to be entered later Wednesday morning include Alpha, Flat Out, Fort Larned, Mucho Macho Man, and Ron the Greek.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 28, 2013 21:59:18 GMT -5
Intriguing Woodward attracts field of seven
Even without Whitney Handicap winner Cross Traffic in the lineup, the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward hardly lacks star appeal or story lines. The nine-furlong, weight-for-age test, which attracted seven older horses, highlights the final Saturday of the 40-day Saratoga meet.
Virtually every member of the Woodward field will be out to prove one thing or another. For Fort Larned, the Woodward represents an opportunity to dismiss doubts that he has lost a step off a stellar 2012 campaign that culminated with a stirring win in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Aside from his monster 6 1/4-length victory in the June 15 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs, Fort Larned has looked lackluster this season, most recently offering no stretch punch when favored in his Whitney title defense earlier this month.
"I haven't lost any confidence in him," trainer Ian Wilkes said. "He's had a different schedule than last year -- he hasn't raced as much -- but the objective is still the same: get back to the Classic. I think the whole division is very strong this year, and this race is going to be as tough or tougher than the last one (Whitney)."
Multiple Grade 2 winners Successful Dan and Mucho Macho Man, both in search of their first top-level wins, are well acquainted with each other and with Fort Larned. The older half-brother of Horse of the Year Wise Dan, Successful Dan threw in a rare clunker behind Fort Larned in the Stephen Foster, but rebounded to finish a strong second in the Whitney, a performance that earned him 5-2 morning-line favoritism in the Woodward.
"He's training good, he's doing good, he's had super good breezes since then, everything's good with his legs, and I'm really excited to run him in this race," trainer Charlie LoPresti said.
Mucho Macho Man, beaten a neck in last year's Woodward and a half-length in the Breeders' Cup Classic, has not looked as sharp in three outings this season. Sidelined with a virus over the winter, the five-year-old was a non-threatening third in a June 14 overnight stakes at Belmont and then occupied the same slot in the Whitney.
"It's certainly going to be tough, but he's coming into this race better than he did into the Whitney, because we had run into a couple of problems early in the year with a bacterial infection and so forth," owner Dean Reeves said. "So this will be his third race back, and we're looking for him to improve on that race in the Whitney, and hopefully it'll be good enough to get that group of horses, which are a fine group, in this coming Woodward."
Paynter, to the welcome surprise of many, successfully fought off life-threatening bouts of colitis and laminitis to return to the track this season for Bob Baffert. Last year's Haskell Invitational winner and Belmont Stakes runner-up has made two starts this summer, easily taking a seven-furlong allowance at Hollywood and then finishing a close second in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. A strong performance Saturday could give Baffert, who also trains division leader Game On Dude, a solid one-two punch for November's Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.
"The Woodward is a great race, pointing to the Breeders' Cup. We're excited about running him. It's a tough field, but he's tough," Baffert said.
The seven-year-old Flat Out, a two-time winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Suburban Handicap, has yet to win a major stakes outside the friendly confines of Belmont Park. Flat Out has run well in three previous trips to Saratoga, placing in two editions of the Whitney and once in the Woodward, but Saturday's race might ultimately prove a useful prep for next month's crack at a third Gold Cup triumph.
Looking to rekindle past glories are longshots Ron the Greek and Alpha. Winner of the 2012 editions of the Santa Anita Handicap and Stephen Foster, Ron the Greek's best finish in his past four starts was a a half-length third behind Game On Dude in the April 20 Charles Town Classic.
Alpha, unplaced in six starts dating to his dead-heat win in the 2012 Travers, seems up against it carrying level weights.
Brisnet
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 28, 2013 22:04:23 GMT -5
Who's your pick?
Race 10 - 5:45 PM STAKES Woodward S. (Grade I)
Purse $750,000. For Three-Year-Olds And Upward. No nomination fee. $7,500 to pass the entry box. A supplemental nomination fee of $15,000 in addition to the entry fee will be accepted at any time prior to the close of entries. All starters including supplemental nominees will receive a $4,000 rebate. The purse to be divided 60% to the winner, 20% to second, 10% to third, 5% to fourth, 3% to fifth and 2% divided equally among the remaining finishers. Any horse that competes in both the Whitney Invitational Hcp and the Woodward or have placed in a graded sweepstake will have their entry fee waived for the Woodward. Weights for age. Three-year-olds, 121 Lbs.; older, 126 Lbs. The estate of Mrs. William Woodward, Sr. to add the Woodward Challenge Cup, to be won three times,not necessarily consecutively, by the same owner before becoming his or her property. The owner of the winner will also receive a trophy for permanent possession and trophies will be presented to the winning trainer and jockey. The New York Racing Association reserves the right to transfer this race to an invitational. Closed Saturday, August 17, 2013 with 22 Nominations. One And One Eighth Miles.
PP Horse Virtual
Stable A/S Med Jockey Wgt Trainer
1 Ron the Greek (FL) 6/H L J Castellano 126 W I Mott
2 Successful Dan (KY) 7/G L J R Leparoux 126 C LoPresti
3 Fort Larned (KY) 5/H L B J Hernandez, Jr. 126 I R Wilkes
4 Flat Out (FL) 7/H L J Alvarado 126 W I Mott
5 Paynter (KY) 4/C L R Bejarano 126 B Baffert
6 Mucho Macho Man (FL) 5/H L E S Prado 126 K Ritvo
7 Alpha (KY) 4/C L J R Velazquez 126 K P McLaughlin
Owners: 1 - Brous Stable, Wachtel Stable, Hammer, Jack T. and Barber, Gary ; 2 - Fink, Morton ; 3 - Whitham, Janis, R. ; 4 - Preston Stables LLC ; 5 - Zayat Stables, LLC ; 6 - Reeves Thoroughbred Racing ; 7 - Godolphin Racing LLC
Breeders: 1 - Jack T. Hammer; 2 - Mort Fink; 3 - Janis R. Whitham; 4 - Nikolaus Bock; 5 - Diamond A Racing Corp.; 6 - John D Rio & Carole A Rio; 7 - Darley
Equipment Changes: 7 - Alpha - Blinkers On
Equibase
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2013 3:04:43 GMT -5
THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF NOT FALLING IN LOVE WITH A HORSE OR HATING HIM FOR NO REASON. IT ALL DEPENDS ON CIRCUMSTANCES. LARNED HAD NO EXCUSE LAST TIME REGARDLESS OF WHAT ANYONE WANTS TO THINK. HIS LITTLE HESITATION AT THE BREAK DID NOT ALTER ANYTHING. HE STILL WOULD HAVE NOT MADE THE LEAD AND HE STILL WOULD HAVE LOST IF HE HAD TRIED. NOW PEOPLE WILL BE JUMPING OFF THE WAGON WHEN THEY SHOULD BE JUMPING ON. CROSS TRAFFIC IS A BETTER HORSE AND HAS MORE SPEED. SIMPLE. HOWEVER HE ISNT IN HERE NOW. WHO IS GOING TO RUN WITH LARNED EARLY THIS TIME? NO ONE CAN. PAYNTER MAY TRY BUT HE WILL BE UP AGAINST IT IF HE DOES. IM SURE ALL THE BLEEDING HEARTS WILL BET HIM AND HE WILL BE A MUCH SHORTER PRICE THEN HE SHOULD BE. ANYTHINH LESS THEN 5 OR 6 TO ONE ON HIM IS A HORRIBLE PRICE. I WOULD LIKE ANYONE WHO PICKS HIM TO ALSO TELL ME WHAT THEY THINK A CA. SHIPPER (OH NO, NOT A WEST COAST HORSE!!) LIKE KETTLE CORN SHOULD BE IN HERE? HE JUST BEAT HIM ON THE SQUARE AND THEN CAME BACK TO RUN 2ND IN THE PACIFIC CLASSIC WHERE HE HAD NO LEGITIMATE CHANCE TO RUN DOWN GOD INTO THAT CRAWLING PACE. THIS IS A RACE THAT IS LARNEDS FOR THE TAKING. IF HE DOESNT WIN THIS RACE, THEY MAY AS WELL PASS ON THE BREEDERS CUP BECAUSE HE WILL NOT GET AN EASIER SPOT THEN THIS AGAIN BEFORE THE YEAR IS UP.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Sept 2, 2013 0:08:40 GMT -5
The JCG is shapong up to be a very good race. Hope w/e is wrong with Fort Larned is solved in time.
NYRA Site
Sitting in the Greentree office beneath a giant photo of Bernardini's victory in the 2006 Travers, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin pulled out his smart phone and showed around a photo of himself posing with a white-bearded gentleman that was taken a few moments before Alpha upset Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward.
The Twitter caption for the photo appropriately read: "Christmas in August at Saratoga."
"It was fun," said McLaughlin of Alpha's victory, which marked the first in a graded stakes for the trainer this year. "Everything went right for us. It was a big win for the horse, and a big win for everybody. It's been a long time between Grade 1s; it just shows you how hard they are, how hard any graded stakes are, to win."
Alpha, who was one of four Grade 1 winners last year at Saratoga Race Course for McLaughlin, had not won since dead-heating with Golden Ticket in the 2012 Travers. The Bernardini colt closed out his 3-year-old campaign finishing sixth in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby and 12th in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic. He finished off the board in two starts during the winter in Dubai and came off a four-month layoff to run fourth in the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap in July at Belmont Park. Immediately prior to the Woodward, he was sixth in the Grade 1 Whitney Invitational Handicap.
"It was a great win for him because he kind of went off the track a little bit going to Parx and Santa Anita and then Dubai," said McLaughlin "But, I blame myself a little for taking the blinkers off, and maybe he wasn't quite as fit as I thought he was in his last two races. But, he loves it here. The wet track is obviously a plus, and Johnny [Velazquez] did a great job.
"The gate crew did a great job with him, too," added McLaughlin. "Alpha has always had his issues at the gate. We've schooled him and worked with him, and the gate crew knows him and they've learned him. Hats off to the gate crew."
McLaughlin said Alpha emerged from his victory in good order and said the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 28 at Belmont Park appeared to be the next logical spot.
"It's Belmont Park and 1 ¼ miles, which he likes," said McLaughlin. "But, we'll speak with [Godolphin racing manager] Simon Crisford, who in turn will speak with Sheikh Mohammed."
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