The Wood Memorial (Grade 2) (KYD)- $750.000 Purse
AQU- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
April 8, 2023
There were three 100-point KYD races that took place on Saturday, and Mb Stables did not need to win any of them. He had qualified more horses to the race than he will be allowed to enter, but that did not stop him from trying to win these races, for the prestige and purse monies that they offer. When the smoke cleared, Mb Stables would celebrate a victory in all three of these races, with Battle Plan being the one who got it done to start the day in the Wood Memorial. There is only one race left to earn points in, the 20-point Lexington next week, and the leaderboard is impressive. Mb Stables holds the top four spots, so barring a private sale, one of the top four qualified horses for the KYD will not be able to compete. In total, he has seven in the top 20, so the decision he has to make this year is a dilemma that rest of us would love to have, but certainly will not be an easy one. What does not work in Battle Plan’s favor is that he is not TC nominated. Don’t worry about him, though, Mb Stables will figure out a battle plan for him. This is the third time that he was won the Wood Memorial, doing so also in 2014 with Twisted Estate, and in 2019 with Apples To Oranges. Jockey E J Wilson is a now a two time winner and had the 2019 ride. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:47.99, which is the fourth quickest in the history of the race. Let’s take a look at it!
(1/2 Mile- :47.38)- Two Million gets off to a quick start for Asgar, and he will battle it out with the eventual winner, Battle Plan, for Mb Stables. These two pack, around the opening turn with Two Million having a head in front and they will match strides down the backstretch. Running third, we have Justice Of The Peace, for Maletto, who was right alongside the top two early on, but backs off a length early in the backstretch. There’s a group of four right behind them, and Timeless will hold the edge there as the D J C Racing Stables entry leads the other three by a neck. The two bookends in the starting gate are fourth and fifth, with Lunar Eclipse (Dmc Racing) on the rail and Noble Faerie (Riggins Racing) on the outside. Ocala Secret (Grimley) runs in the middle of them. Next up, we have three more, with post time favorite Bold Ruler (Fractious) on the inside, South Point (Alydar Stables) in the middle, and Range Rover (Arindel) on the outside. Then it’s Damiano (Fractious), and those at the back, Insilca (First Flight Stable), Sweet Shine (Mb Stables), and Derby Proud (Mb Stables).
(3/4 Mile- 1:11.65)- Midway through the backstretch, Battle Plan completes the pass for the lead, and is able inch ahead by a length as they move into the turn. Two Million is still second with Justice Of The Peace third, but the rest of the field looks to be closing in on them. Things are tight within the pack, but the best lanes are held by Timeless, Noble Faerie, and Lunar Eclipse right now. Others looked to be setting up moves within the turn, so things could be very interesting as we move to the top of the stretch. The only horses not looking like contenders, at least for the moment, are Sweet Shine, Derby Proud, and Insilca.
(Top of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- The run around the turn is completed, and those horse that had only one career start, which was only two weeks prior, was looking very good at the front. Battle Plan had pulled out now to a two-length lead, and with Two Million still the horse in second position, you had to wonder who would be able to challenge him down the stretch. Justice Of The Peace was another one that was in retreat, but I did like the lane that Timeless had on the rail. Range Rover looked like he might be full of run at this point. Noble Faerie was running level with those at the front but had not made a big push yet. A little further back, Bold Ruler was looking for a lane to come on through and was not out of it.
(Finish- 1:47.99)- This Battle Plan looks like he might be something, and I think I said in the preview that in order to convince Mb Stables to run him in the KYD, he would have to win this race by about three lengths. With about a furlong to go, that is about what his lead was, and let’s be clear, if Mb Stables feels Battle Plan should be in the KYD, he’s not going to let the $50.000 nomination fee get in his way, especially with all of the money he won today. This horse was in cruise control in the stretch and won comfortably even if they final margin only says a length in the past performance. A consistent run to the wire by Noble Faerie and a workmanlike effort by Timeless on the rail saw them earn second and third, but never threaten for more. Bold Ruler never really made a run, but is the best of the rest, finishing fourth. South Point grabs fifth over Range Rover, and they are followed by Domiano, Derby Proud, Two Million, Justice Of The Peace, Lunar Eclipse, Sweet Shine, Ocala Secret and Insilca.
About The Winner- Battle Plan, trained by Mb Stables and ridden to victory by E J Wilson, is a three-year-old gelding by Neon Wolf and is out of Art Fair. He was bred in California by Fractious as a third quarter two-year-old and was acquired by Mb Stables in September 2022 for $11.000 when he was still unraced. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his second in two starts and is first stake win. His career earnings are now $492.000.
Track: Fast
Time: :471 1:112 1:353 1:474
$2 Mutuel Prices:
$1 Exacta: 2 – 14 Paid 3,218.20
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 14 – 3 Paid 1,473.80
Scratched: Broadway Command, Confidentialist, Scar Tissue
— NS
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
