The Woodward (Grade 2)- $400.000 Purse
AQU- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
September 28, 2024

Last year, Spankersville handled what was a muddy track at AQU, and won the Woodward by two lengths, after having won the JC Gold Cup the race prior. This time around, the track would be dry but that would be just about all that was different in the race, as Spankersville once again took care of business. It’s the third straight win for the now six-year-old horse, and again follows a victory in the JC Gold Cup. He was not quite the post time favorite, but he was our pick to win. He is trained by The Sidley Stud, who wins the Woodward for the first time, as does jockey M E Smith. Last year, J Lezcano was Spankersville’s rider. Congratulations to them! The time of the victory was 1:47.28, which really cannot be compared to anything due to being at a different track. Let’s take a look at it now:

(½ Mile- :46.50)- Dangerous Fugitive, trained by Night Rider Stables, is the quickest out of the gate and looks set to the pace the field by himself into the clubhouse turn. However, Mb Stables- trained Test The Waters said, “not so fast”, and it would be the two of them running together around the turn and into the backstretch. They would pull away from the rest of the field, leaving third place Lunar Victory, from Fractious, three lengths behind them. West Lunacy Party will be fourth along the rail for Black N Gold Stable, and to his outside, about a length back, is where we find our eventual winner from The Sidley Stud, Spankersville. He’s scored as being six lengths off the lead at this point and has Fractious- owned Team Leader right beside him. Post time favorite Face The Lunatic is within a length for Martyparty while running four wide.

(3/4 Mile- 1:10.34)- Working our way down the backstretch, and into the turn, Test The Waters begins to get the upper hand on Dangerous Fugitive, but these two have still continued to have a big lead on the rest of the field. Lunar Victory is still in third, but is now four lengths off the pace, but he is still a length and a half over West Lunacy Party and Spankersville. Team Leader lost some ground, and now runs at the back with Face The Lunatic.

(Top of The Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- Test The Waters has clearly won the battle with Dangerous Fugitive and is now all by himself with a length and a half lead on that one entering the stretch. Has the field let him get away, or will they be able to catch up? Dangerous Fugitive was looking like less of a contender now. Lunar Victory gained a little ground, but probably needed to pick up more, because Spankersville was full of run entering the top of the stretch. He’s done this before and looked like he was ready to do it again. West Lunacy Party was not running quite as well as him, but he was also making up a lot of ground and seemed poised to hit the board. Team Leader and Face The Lunatic have been left behind.

(Finish- 1:47.28)- Could the 15/1 longshot Test The Waters hang on? Early in the stretch, it looked like he could be able too. He ran well, but Spankersville was full of run, and making his charge along the outside. Looking to win the Woodward again, there was no one better, and with the final half furlong, he would complete the pass, going on to win by a length and a half. Not quite the full two lengths he won by last year, but it’s still an impressive win. Test The Waters will complete the exacta, as no one else threatened him. West Lunacy Party got by Lunar Victory for third. Dangerous Fugitive is fifth, beating only Team Leader and the disappointing Face The Lunatic.

About The Winner- Spankersville, trained by The Sidley Stud, and ridden to victory by M E Smith, is a six-year-old by Ginger Haggis, and is out of the late Speedy Game. He was bred as a yearling in Ontario by The Sidley Stud, and they have been together throughout! Congratulations to the connections! The win is his fifteenth over 45 starts, his 13th stake win and 12th graded win. His career earnings are now $4,853.880.

Track: Fast
Time: :46²  1:10¹  1:34⁴  1:47¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 6 – 2 Paid 36.40
$1 Trifecta: 6 – 2 – 1 Paid 1,365.90

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES