4/5/2025
5 AQU The Wood Memorial (GII) [KYD] 
$750.000 3yo 11/8th Mile Dirt 122lbs
Even though he was a maiden, I am certainly not surprised that Fawkes got the job done in Saturday’s Wood Memorial (GII) at AQU… I am surprised that he was the 5/2 post time favorite… odds/smodds… Delta Farms takes the lion’s share of the $750.000 purse, and perhaps more importantly, the KYD points… securing their spot in Louisville, the first Saturday in May. The gray colt, by Buckbeak – Odious, by Opus Force, shows a hankering for a wet surface, and closed from far back to gain the victory in this one… both could serve to be vital on the TC Trail. He covered the mile and an eighth in 1:54.29 and was a length clear went they went under the wire. Congrats to the connections!
Mb Stables keeps adding to their KYD qualifiers as Highway Robber moves up the list with a second in this sloppy run. He currently sits in thirteenth place, and that may prove to be enough. The shame may be that he had the lead in the lane here today, but just could not hold off the winner, while running a very solid race at nearly 15/1 odds.
It was another length to Riggins Racing’s Brooklyn Bash, and Team 7 Illusions Burger King… those two providing the almost mandatory dead-heat, which seem to happen in just about every race. Both of these found their best strides down the lane and seem to want a route of ground… always a good thing. Fifteen lengths covered the field of fourteen, and we did not have any scratches in this race.
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES, TC 2025, THE TRIPLE CROWN
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