Woodstock Stakes ($125.000 Purse)
WO- For Three Year Olds
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
April 30, 2023

Coming into the Woodstock Stakes, Twin Rackets was a horse that really needed a change of form. After showing so much promise as a two-year-old, his run through KYD preps were highly disappointing. That chase is now over, and his trainer, Alydar Stables sent him back to a sprint here to try and get him going once again. The placement for the horse seemed good enough, and you could make the case for thinking he was the horse to beat, or one to completely avoid at the betting window. We decided to trust others, but Twin Rackets would step up and not only had a much-needed good race but picked up the win. It’s the first win in the race for Alydar Stables, but the fourth for jockey E J Wilson. The time of the race that was simply listed as good, was 1:10.30. That’s slightly faster than last year’s edition, which was also on a good surface. Let’s take a look at it!

(1/4 Mile- :22.58)- Higher Rate gets off to the quickest start, and Asgar’s gelding will hold a length advantage over the rest of the field after the opening quarter mile. Pinnacle Impact is running on the rail as he stalks in the second position for Martyparty, and on the outside here, it’s Ferrobomber Laga, for Lagastable. Running between them, and within a length of them are Blazin At The Wheel and Roswell, for Gdp Inc and Riggins Racing, respectively. Our eventual winner, Twin Rackets, runs in the sixth position as he leads the rest of the field for Asgar while trailing the pacesetter by three lengths. Following him is Melodrama (Mo Mentum Farm), and then Unwanted Man (Jokerjoes).

(1/2 Mile- :46.08, Top of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Not much changes as the field completes the backstretch portion or even while they make their way around the turn. It is still Higher Rate out in front, and he has still been unchallenged at this point, as he maintains his length lead. The four horses that were right behind him at start of the race continue to stalk, but none of them are mounting a challenge. Pinnacle Impact is the closest to him, and is in a great position to strike, so perhaps we will see that soon within in the stretch. Blazin At The Wheel, Roswell, and Ferrobomber Laga were simply content to hold their spot on the track. Meanwhile, Twin Rackets, a known closer, was getting closer to those four horses, and it looked like there would be plenty of room for him to come on through to the outside of Pinnacle Impact. Unwanted Man and Melodrama continue to trail.

(Finish- 1:10.30)- Higher Rate began to run out of steam early in the stretch, and Pinnacle Impact would have no problem taking over the top spot with a half furlong to go. While that was good enough to get by Higher Rate, it was not nearly enough to hang over Twin Rackets, who made up a considerable amount of ground early in the stretch, and by the time Pinnacle Impact was in front, he had Twin Rackets right beside him. To his credit, Pinnacle Impact showed some stretch fight, but Twin Rackets, a horse desperately needing to rebound after a very difficult season in KYD preps, was not going to be denied on this day. He would run the best in the stretch, and score this much needed victory. Pinnacle Impact completes the exacta, with Roswell the best of the rest in third, over Blazin At The Wheel, Higher Rate, Unwanted Man, Ferrobomber Laga, and Melodrama.

About The Winner- Twin Rackets, trained by Alydar Stables, and ridden to victory by E J Wilson, is a three-year-old gelding by Racket Runner, and is out of Twin Cedars. He was bred in California by his trainer as a first quarter two-year-old, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his third in nine starts, and his first stake win. His career earnings are now $228.800.

Track: Good
Time: :22²  :46   :58¹  1:10¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 7 – 1 Paid 29.40
$1 Trifecta: 7 – 1 – 3 Paid 555.90

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded