Ky. Derby prep: Resilience gives hopeful connections Wood win

New York

Resilience pressed the pace in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial and then rallied to victory by 2 1/4 lengths in the final of six Kentucky Derby 2024 qualifying races that were run at Aqueduct.

Trained by Bill Mott, Resilience was making his second start on the Derby trail after finishing fourth in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds in February behind three horses who were winners in Derby. In the Wood, he was sent off as the third choice in the betting and picked up 100 points to go with the 10 that he had already earned. With 110 points Resilience locked up a spot in the run for the roses.

Click here for Aqueduct entries and results.

Resilience is a son of Into Mischief who is owned by Ric Waldman and Emily Bushnell. He was making his sixth career start.

“We weren’t confident but hopeful,” Waldman said. “His race in the Risen Star was better than it appeared and he gave up a lot. Bill (Mott) taking him back to Payson Park and training him for these weeks, he had him just picture perfect for this race. It’s our first Derby. I grew up in Louisville, and I cut my teeth cutting school and going to Churchill Downs. It means a lot.”

Resilience, who wore blinkers for the first time, broke alertly from the post position 1 and settled in third position on the rail under a tight hold from Hall of Fame jockey John Velázquez. They were able to move to an outside path as the fractions were 23.45, 47.49 and 1:12.31.

Moving four wide, Resilience was able to get the lead at the quarter pole. He quickly moved ahead by 2 1/2 lengths and was not challenged to the wire with a final time of 1:50.28 for the 1 1/8 miles.

“We broke really well, which was what we wanted to do,” Velázquez said. “He got a little bit aggressive, more than I wanted to in the first part. Then I put him out, and he kind of relaxed better on the outside of horses. The reason we put blinkers on is because he’s kind of hesitant in passing the horses. So I kind of engaged him a little bit early to see if he’d pass horses, and he passed them. Then I was like, oh, man. I might’ve broken a little too soon. Then he just kept me busy down the lane.”

The Gotham (G3) winner Deterministic was sent off as the 9-10 favorite. The Christophe Clément-trained runner raced comfortably on the rail in the early going but came up empty and finished eighth.

I thought the horse was travelling great down the backstretch not far off the pace,” Clément said. “After five-eighths of a mile he was beaten. There must be something going on. I don’t know what it is, but we will work on it.”

At the top of the stretch, 157-1 long shot Deposition fell among a group of horses with jockey Dexter Haddock. No other horses were involved in the spill. Both the horse and rider were able to get to their feet. Haddock walked onto the ambulance, and Deposition got into a van under his own power.

For the win Resilience earned $400,000 to go with the Derby points and paid $11.00 to win. Society Man finished second at 106-1 coming off a recent maiden win, got 50 points and completed a $2 exacta that paid $742. Protective was the 38-1 show horse and got 25 points and was part of a $2 trifecta that returned $9,185. Lonesome Boy was fourth at 80-1 getting 15 points and completed a 10-cent superfecta of $6,667.55. The Withers (G3) winner Uncle Heavy was fifth and has a total of 30 points.

Looking ahead to the Kentucky Derby on May 4 and the classic 1 1/4 miles, Velázquez was confident about his horse’s ability to get the distance.

"None of the horses have done it,” he said, “so they are all in the same boat. I don’t see why not.”