Woodward Preview
Get ready racing fans because Saratoga is about to blow your socks off! The Juveniles tack center stage in the Spinaway and Hopeful, sprinters get to flaunt their speed in Forego, and then Fillies and Mares get to show off in the Personal Ensign. As if all this wasn’t enough, the afternoon will be topped off with the Woodward, the meet’s final grade on for the Classic division. It will feature some of the roughest, toughest males in the division. However, to add even more drama to the already exciting field, Havre de Grace, one of the leading females, will throw her hat into the ring.
While Tizway, the Whitney winner will not be returning for round two, both Flat Out and Giant Oak, second and third in that race, are still ready to deliver. Flat Out had a lot of questions to answer in the Whitney, and even without a win, he answered them loud and clear. He proved his Suburban win was no fluke and that he was truly an improved horse. Should he show up on Saturday with all cylinders firing, he will not make things easy for his foes.
Giant Oak has seen success this season and tasted grade one glory, but since then he has been plagued by absolutely horrible trips. For some reason this one’s jockey feels that he is the male form of Zenyatta, keeping him way too far back, then taking him unbelievably wide. The grinder cannot give that much ground away and expect to have a hope against his quicker more tactical rivals. With a good trip and pace, this one could see the winners circle again, but that is a big if.
Convocation is a solid horse, always knocking at the door but never getting a win. After running in three straight stakes races, and failing to hit the board in his last his connections dropped him in class for a little booster. The five year old rewarded them with a win, showing them that he may just be ready to deliver his best shot in a grade one.
Ice Box, the Kentucky Derby runner-up, who was laid up for over 10 months returned to the track in late July in an allowance optional claimer. There he finished third to the above mentioned Convocation. He didn’t get the best of trips and most likely needed the race off of such a lengthy lay off. Can he recapture the glory he had in the spring of his sophomore season? It is unlikely, but in year where any race is up for grabs, who knows, he just may surprise us.
With Mission Impazible, you never know what you’re going to get. He is one of those, similar to Giant Oak. There is always an excuse, always something that didn’t go his way and after you finally get tired of giving him second chances, boom! He wins big. I don’t think he will be running that type of race here, but if the son of Unbridled’s Song has anything in his favor it is Todd Pletcher, who is absolutely owning Saratoga.
Last, but certainly not least, is Havre de Grace. Numbers wise, the only horse who stands above her is Flat Out, other than that she completely towers over this field. She should be fit and ready for this race, coming off a stiff race against her nemesis, Blind Luck, in the 10 furlong Delaware Handicap. Normally the foregone breeze and no works over the track would cause me some worry, but the Larry Jones trainee already was acquainted with the track when she ran a close second in the Alabama stakes, last year.
The thoughts here are that the race is between Flat Out and Havre de Grace, with the filly ending up the triumphant one. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that this race will be watched closely to see if the filly can indeed pull the near impossible feat and begin her assault on Horse of the Year.