Saratoga's Woodward Stakes takes shape minus a popular pair

Saratoga's Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes will roll on Saturday without two of its anticipated top contenders, as Catholic Boy and Hofburg both suffered setbacks in recent weeks that prevented them from being nominated to the 1 1/8-mile feature on closing weekend at the Spa.

But a strong core of older horses who can count themselves as Breeders' Cup Classic contenders with an in-the-money finish remains, with defending winner Yoshida and Vino Rosso, a Grade 1 hero two starts back, expected to headline entries Wednesday.

Trainer Bill Mott confirmed Yoshida after the 5-year-old son of Heart's Cry breezed Sunday over the Oklahoma training track.

"He seems to be feeling really good," Mott said of the Grade 1 winner on turf and dirt. "He'll stay on the dirt this next time."

Yoshida surprised when running second in the Whitney Stakes (G1), a spot ahead of Vino Rosso back on Aug. 3. Neither was a match for McKinzie, but that colt is remaining home in California on Woodward weekend awaiting the Sept. 28 Awesome Again (G1) at Santa Anita Park.

Preservationist didn't fully fire in the Whitney, finishing fourth, but maintains a high ceiling as the eye-catching winner of Belmont Park's Suburban (G2) going 10 furlongs in July.

New York-bred Mr. Buff and Tom's d'Etat both enter off lower-level stakes wins at the meet and will step into graded company, while Mongolian Groom has been supplemented, according to the NYRA racing office, off a third in the recent Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar.

If Vino Rosso doesn't enter the Woodward, expect to see another Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate, most likely Wooderson, who was second to Tom's d'Etat in the Alydar Stakes. Noble Indy is a fit for the Bernard Baruch (G2) on closing day over the turf, while Coal Front, another of Pletcher's nominees, has Belmont's Sept. 21 Kelso (G2) on his calendar.

Never to be fully dismissed, trainer Uriah St. Lewis has Forewarned, fifth in the Whitney, headed back from his Parx Racing base. Similar to the St. Lewis-conditioned Discreet Lover, who upset in last year's Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), Forewarned, a 4-year-old son of Flat Out, enjoys closing.