The Woodward (Grade 1)- $500.000 Purse
AQU- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
October 1, 2022
Saturday at AQU will feature some great races for two year olds, but it will be finished off by hosting some of the best active horses in our virtual world today with the fifth running of The Woodward. The race debuted in 2003, and was held for three years before reappearing on the schedule in 2021. It was at BEL in each of those years, and was again in 2021, but was also held at SAR between 2006 and 2020. The race’s history at SAR can be found when looking up the Woodward Handicap (stake ID 1020). This is the first year that it will be run at AQU, a theme that we will be repeating quite often over the next few weeks. In 2021, Splash Mountain was the winner of the race, doing so for John Henry. He’s won over $9,000.000 for his career, and is still active, though his form of late is questionable. Not to worry, as we still have nine horses going to post for the race. Ten were entered, but one was an early scratch. Here is a look at them!
#1- Changing Times (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Three year olds are eligible for the race, but this is the only one that is taking on the older horses and it will give him a three pound weight allowance. He’s been hot and cold this year, scoring a big win in the BG Stakes, as well as running fourth in the KYD and third in the Haskell. In both of those last two, he was only a length behind the winner. As good as they are, he also has pulled some brutal no-shows, such as in the BEL and the Travers. Fortunately, he’s never done that twice in a row, so look for him to bounce back with a good one here.
#2- He Needsa Manzillian (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by R M Hernandez)- Had himself a good summer, running second in the Dominion Day Stakes (Grade 3) at WO in July, and then a month later winning the Grade 3 WV Governors Stakes at MNR. Off of that, Mo Mentum hoped that the momentum would continue into the Grade 1 JC Gold Cup, but it would not. Not only that, though, He Needsa Manzillian had a very dismal performance. If he’s here, then the trainer is confident that will not happen again, but I don’t know if I could put virtual dollars on it.
#3- Crack Dab (Gdp Inc., ridden by F T Alvarado)- Last time out, we saw Crack Dab in the Whitney, marking the third straight year that he ran in that race. The 2020 Whitney was where this horse really made a name for himself, and it continued that year but in the 2021 Whitney, Crack Dab would struggle. Last month, he ran a good race, though the seventh place finish likely will not do justice to his actual effort. Ran well in the two races right before it, so this might be a good spot for the Safecracker gelding to score another big win. I think he’s a sneaky choice in here, especially if his odds climb. Though, I am not sure that they will.
#4- Tempestuous (Mb Stables, ridden by A Cedillo)- In his last three starts, Tempestuous has been nothing but a backmarker and is another horse in this field that ran poorly in the JC Gold Cup last month. Looking back to May, and before that, we see what the horse has been capable of, with wins in the Grade 2 Alysheba at CD and the Grade 1 SA Handicap. Lately, we just not have seen that version of this horse but his works suggest that he is more than capable of rediscovering that form here.
#5- Charleys Latte (Fractious, ridden by L Saez)- Fractious has done a great job with this horse after putting down $550.000 to get him in private sales. While the horse was always accomplished, he was not running well prior to the sale. Fractious did not have the magic touch immediately, but over his last three races, Charleys Latte has been outstanding. It is worth noting that L Saez was in the saddle for all three of those races and is back again here. After running fourth in the Foster, Charleys Latte has scored back to back wins in the Whitney and the JC Gold Cup. If he runs like that again, it will be trouble for this field.
#6- Oleg (Arindel, ridden by D Moran)- This has been a historically inconsistent horse, but in his last race, I had confidence in him to show his good side in the CT Classic, and win the race. He would do exactly that on the bullring for his fifth career win. Now, we have to see if can string a second race like that together, and I continue to think that right now we are going to see Oleg at his best. That might not be good enough to beat Charleys Latte right now, but Oleg may be that one’s biggest rival here.
#7- Eclipse My Knowledge (Nakamura Stables, ridden by S Elliott)- If it seems like this horse has been around forever, that is because he has been. The seven year gelding will make a milestone 50th start here, and he is still running at a high level with three wins in seven starts in 2022. Two are graded wins, with one of them being just two starts ago at the Grade 3 MTH Cup in July. He also ran in the JC Gold Cup, but it was not a career highlight. Runs consistently and should again, but it’s a tough field.
#8- Strange Magic (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by M Franco)- Two of the last three races for this gelding have been disappointments, with eighth place finishes in both the Grade 1 Gold Cup and the Grade 2 CT Classic. In the latter, he was four lengths behind Oleg. In between those races, he won the Grade 3 Dominion Day, with an impressive off the pace the style. Is there any chance that we can see that version of him here? That is what the trainer is hoping for, but I feel better about others in the field.
#9- Home Spirit (Night Rider Stables, ridden by J C Ferrer)- Since May 2021, Home Spirit has only been able to win the Seagram Cup Stakes (Grade 3). He did that in both 2021 and 2022, so someone tell this horse that he is in Canada. Interestingly, in four starts at WO, he has three wins and one close fourth. This is the first time that he races in New York, so maybe he will take a similar liking to this track. Having said all that, Home Spirit has been consistent with finishing in the money more often than not, and may again here.
Prediction: 5-6-3-7
— NS
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
