The Woodward Handicap (Grade 1)- $625.000 Purse
SAR- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Quarter on the Dirt
September 5, 2020
For the first time in its virtual history, the Woodward is being run as a handicap. The real life comparison is also seeing this change this year, and the history of the real race has seen it be a handicap before. This condition adjustment will mean that we are not going to see a Whats Up, A One, or Atomic Twister in the field, especially with weights playing such an elevated role within the game. This does not mean we will not have a quality field, and all things considered, the field that we do have remains quite impressive. The 2019 winner was Tactical, for Mb Stables, and he would opt for the Pacific Classic this year, a decision that is now a no-brainer for horses of his level. Australia Wide is the most successful trainer in the history of the race, winning it three times and they all came consecutively from 2009-2011. Whats Up took the last two. The gate is full to capacity, and here is a look at this taking part.
#1- Never Met Me (Mb Stables, ridden by S R Bahen)- Early in his career, he was a turf horse and it was on that surface where he picked up the biggest results he has attained to date. Essentially, we are talking about second place finishes there, and he still seems to be knocking on the door of a big win this year. He has been with a length of the winner in all of his dirt starts. Perhaps he can use some advice on winning a race like this from his full brother, Centerpiece.
#2- Laffy Crack (Night Rider Stables, ridden by J R Leparoux)- The real Woodward has been won by a filly a couple times since 2009, but we have not seen that happen here on HRP. Laffy Crack aims to be the first, and it would come a month after she ran a strong fourth in the Personal Ensign right here. The trainer has done an excellent job since picking her up, being exceptionally patient with her right after the claim, and he has been rewarded for that. Causing her some problem here is that she is the high weight in the field (with Shanghai). For a filly, that is not ideal and I really wish that did not have to be the case.
#3- Minutes Hand (Mb Stables, ridden by E Jaramillo)- Ran with his stablemate two starts ago in the Foster Handicap, and finished slightly ahead of him. It is the first of two consecutive races that have earned him a triple digit SRF. Perhaps that is promising for this horse that is winless in fifteen career graded races. You never know, but when something happens fifteen out of fifteen times, I will lean towards it happening a 16th time in sixteen. Or I can get the “Sweet Sixteen” headline ready now.
#4- Psychotic Ruler (Night Rider Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- The good news: he’s had a great moment at SAR. The bad news: it was in 2017. In July 2017, he was the winner of the Grade 3 Sanford, but his career never took off after that. Now, after passing through a $7.500 claimer, he was back at the Spa for the $100.000 Birdstone and picked up the win. Almost as cool as winning the Sanford, but we’ll see if he can build on that. He’ll have too, as this is a stronger field.
#5- Long Term Investment (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by M Tunon)- Started the year off right by winning the Grade 3 Hooper, and you had to think at that point, he was looking like a winning investment. Since then, the results have not followed, failing to hit the board in his next four. The trainer has experimented with the turf, but did not get what he was looking for, including a particularly dismal outing in the Nijinsky. Things will have to be changed up for him to have a chance here.
#6- American Phuegoah (The A Stable, ridden by K J Desormeaux)- The six year old has won two of his last three, and three of his last five, but those wins as well all his other wins have been in overnights. The trainer has taken shots at this level from time to time, and has gotten decent finishes, but not profitable ones, and those are tougher for us non-mega stables to overcome. In this race, he will run longer then he has had so far, and perhaps that will be what it takes for him.
#7- Born A Diplomat (Oquinn Farm, ridden by J A Vargas Jr)- Here is another horse that has been able to win some races, but they have all come in overnights and not in stakes. Recently, he was picked up in a $35.000 private sale, and has been successful in Oquinn silks, taking two races, each optional claimers. He’s tried a big condition at this distance before if you look back to the 2019 Queens Plate, and he was in the middle of the field there.
#8- Salar de Uyuni (Mb Stables, ridden by G Franco)- The gelding will make the 20th start of his career, and is best known for a couple strong races as a three year old that he won, mainly the Gotham. His name has been off the radar somewhat, but he has still been getting good results, and one of them was in his last outing, taking the $200.000 ALB Handicap at that race track on the first of August. Perhaps he was glad to get away from sprinting on the turf as well, and it is interesting to see how he handles this field in follow up of that ALB Handicap.
#9- California Chrome (Nakamura Stables, ridden by K Carmouche)- He has a big name to live up to, and often, those given these names never fill those shoes. California Chrome hasn’t either, but at least he is further along in the process then many. He’s a winner of four out of 13 for his career, highlighted by the Grade 3 Jones Stakes. Not a bad win at all, but it’s not two TC wins. This is his first race on the main track for Nakamura Stables since he acquired him for $200.000 after the Nijinsky went as poorly for him as it did for Long Term Investment.
#10- Obeah Mon (Night Rider Stables, ridden by J Bravo)- The trainer sends three to the gate for this one. Obeah Mon is coming in here off of the Travers, a race where he ran in the back and came on in the stretch to get up for sixth. It was a valiant effort, but he is going to have to be a little closer to the front here, even if we are not talking about a Travers quality field. He’s my second favorite of the three that the trainer has in the race (I like the filly, admittedly). Not sure how reliable of a horse this is.
#11- L A Raw (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by L Contreras)- This horse has been around for a while, and will be making his 33rd career start. One of them was in the Woodward last year, a race that he placed eighth in after setting the early fractions while starting from the outside. That came after winning the Suburban Handicap, and while he has not hit the board in his last three starts, he does have back to back triple digit SRF’s. Not my pick, but don’t sleep on him if the odds climb.
#12- Rainstorm (Fractious, ridden by J Alvarado)- After an outstanding three year old campaign, Rainstorm’s success has dried up in 2020. Sure, he has two wins, but those came in overnights, and he was running in much bigger and better last year. Is he ready to jump right back into this company again? The trainer is hoping that his last start, a win in $85.000 Alydar can kickstart his career again. The ability is there, now we will see if he can show it again.
#13- Shanghai (Nakamura Stables, ridden by Ru Fuentes)- He is one of the highweights in the field, sharing this distinction with Laffy Crack. He can thank his win in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes back in February at SA for that. He is another horse in this field who is coming out of the Nijinsky Stakes, but unlike the other two from the turf race, he was not a dud, finishing in the third position. Last year, he also took part in the Woodward, and nearly grabbed the win, placing second to Tactical while in D J C silks. Perhaps, the return to this scenery will help him out quite a bit, and he should be a contender here.
#14- Remson (Two Hearts One Love, ridden by J J Hernandez)- The trainer believes in this horse, acquiring him for $275.000 from Aer Stables a month ago. He has not raced since the fourth of July, where he was second in the Los Alamitos Derby. A SUN Derby win, and mid-pack finishes in both the KYD and the BEL allowed his name to get out there as one of the better three year olds. I am not wowed by a recent mile work, but there can be other reasons for that, but what is a challenge for him is this post.
Prediction: 2-7-6-3
— NS
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
