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Paco Lopez 4000 wins Woodbine Turf Showcase Woodward Stakes Day Pennsylvania Derby Day Mohawk Million Night |
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 Tapit Trice returns after winning the 2024 Woodward Stakes with jockey Dylan Davis aboard. |
The first of 4 graded stakes races on Saturday at Aqueduct's "Belmont at the Big A" meeting was the $400,000 Woodward Stakes (G2) for older horses going 1 1/8 miles, one complete lap of the main track. Light rain fell during most of the card, downgrading the main track to muddy and the turf courses to good and later yielding, with temperatures in the mid 60's.
Originally a field of 5 made final entry but after morning line longshot Kay Army was scratched by trainer Bill Mott, only 4 went to post causing the cancellation of the show pool. Skippylongstocking was sent off as the 4-5 favorite off his win in the Charles Town Classic (G2). In to challenge him were 2-1 second choice Crupi, winner of the Suburban (G2) before finishing second in the Brooklyn (G2) and Whitney (G1), 9-4 third choice Tapit Trice, 4th in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), and 22-1 longest shot Masqueparade, 2nd in the Birdstone after finishing 4th in the Brooklyn.
 Tapit Trice catches Skippylongstocking in the stretch. |
Jockey Kendrick Carmouche sent Masqueparade to a clear lead through fractions of 23.36, 47.05, and 1:11.87 while pressed by Skippylongstocking and stalked by Crupi. Turning for home Masqueparade tired allowing Skippylongstocking to open up a 3 1/2 length lead midstretch through 1 mile in 1:37.31. Tapit Trice, last early under Dylan Davis, came out 3 wide for room and rallied to win by 3/4 length over Skippylongstocking in 1:50.09. It was a long 13 1/4 lengths back to Crupi third, and 2 1/2 more to pacesetter Masqueparade last.
# Horse Jockey Win Place Show 3 Tapit Trice Davis 8.80 3.20 - 1 Skippylongstocking Franco 2.30 - 2 Crupi Ortiz Jr. - Winning Time: 1:50.09 $1 Exacta 3-1 8.70 $1 Quinella 1-3 2.90Results Chart |
Left: Tapit Trice in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Todd Pletcher said, "It was a big run from him today. I was hoping there would be an honest pace. I was a little bit concerned about that, looking at the race on paper. It seemed like it took him about 100 yards to get his legs under him, but then he got into a comfortable rhythm and really closed resolutely to get it done. He was determined today. We've always felt he was a (Breeders' Cup) Classic-type horse, so I'll talk to the Whisper Hill team about it. We were certainly going into this hoping to run a race that would earn his way in. It certainly looked like he did that today."
Right: The trophy presentation for the Woodward Stakes.
Left: Tapit Trice walks over before the race. Winning jockey Dylan Davis said, "I thought I was going to be more forwardly placed out of the gate, but he was not. So we had to go to plan B. I was just riding the rail, getting him into a good rhythm, and he got into a good stride there into the second turn. Then I had to move him out a little bit and keep him going - he was in between horses and wasn't feeling that. So once he was able to get through and I switched him to the outside, he really started thriving. The distance did not affect him at all."
Right: Tapit Trice heads out to the track before the race.
Left: Second place finisher and beaten favorite Skippylongstocking returns after the race. Jockey Manny Franco said, "I was planning to go. I saw [Masqueparade] sending it, so I just let him go. After that, I ran my race from there, but was just second best. He was running. He never quit - the winner just kept grinding. I have to give credit to him, too."
Right: Third place finisher Crupi walks over before the race. Trainer Todd Pletcher said, "It looked like was climbing a little bit on the backside from the kickback, but he's always consistent and tries. He was maybe a little closer to the pace than he would normally be."
The horses break from the gate for the Woodward Stakes.
 Mufasa wins the Vosburgh Stakes |
Jockey Jaime Rodriguez sent Dean Delivers to the lead out of the chute through fractions of 23.13 and 46.47 while pressed by Mufasa and stalked by Scotland. Turning for home Dean Delivers tired allowing Mufasa to open up a 3 length lead through 3/4 in 1:10.23. Kept to task by Irad Ortiz Jr., Mufasa drew off to win by 4 1/4 lengths over Scotland in 1:22.51. It was another 2 3/4 lengths back to Dean Delivers third.
Left: Mufasa in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Ignacio Correas IV said, "I think it was impressive. We were expecting something big from him. I'm not sure if that is big, the only question was the surface. He'd never run on the slop. He did everything good, like usual, like good horses do. He's a good horse, probably when he ran at Churchill, it was a little short, but he showed he could run, he made a big move that day. Then, at Colonial, he beat a very good horse. Then today he was impressive again. I mean, no words can describe his performance."
Right: Mufasa returns after the race.
Left: Mufasa walks over before the race. Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said, "Beautiful. He jumped good and after that, I just bided my time. I sit there and wait and bide my time to go, and when I ask him, he was there for me to be honest. Pace slowed down a little bit, [but he] was traveling so good. I could have gone faster if I want to. The horse did everything positive. I'm very happy with everything he did on the track today."
Right: Mufasa in the post parade. Correas added, "Sprint, Mile, I don't know. I have to talk to the owners. He's going to Breeders' Cup if everything is OK. We still have time to think and look into it. We still have a little bit more than a month."
Left: Second place finisher Scotland walks over before the race. Jockey Junior Alvarado said, "He broke great and just got outfooted at the beginning by the Dean Delivers horse. I kind of had to sit behind the pack there and we weren't going as quick as I was hoping. But I made my move at the three-eighths pole, five-sixteenths I tried to catch the winner and go on with him. We just kind of sprinted for home and we finished very strong. My horse put a great effort once again. We were second best today."
Right: Third place finisher Dean Delivers returns after the race. The Edward Allard trainee improved his record to 9 wins, 8 seconds, and 3 thirds in 26 starts, earning $817,660 for owner-breeder Stonehedge.
 Far Bridge winner of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes |
Jockey Fernando De La Cruz sent 11-1 longest shot Get Smokin to the lead first time by through fractions of 24.34, 49.05, 1:14.17, and 1:40.79 while pressed by Silver Knott and stalked by 15-2 fourth choice Emmanual. Turning for home Get Smokin tired allowing Silver Knott to lead through 10f in 2:06.73. In the stretch, War Like Goddess, 5th early, gained a short lead but Far Bridge, 4th early under Joel Rosario, rallied late to win by 1/2 a length over War Like Goddess in 2:32.22. It was a long 4 1/4 lengths back to favorite Silver Knott third.
Left: Far Bridge heads to the winner's circle. Winning owner Randy Sarf said, "He can be anywhere, any place, any time - he loves the rail the most, but he can be on the outside or even on the lead if he needs to. He can come from the back if he wants to. He is in top form right now and he is ready to win the Breeders' Cup." Trainer Christophe Clement added, "He's won his last two, both of them Grade 1, it's not easy to win the Sword Dancer and this race. He actually finished third in the Manhattan. He ran in three Grade 1 races in New York on the turf and won two of them and finished third in the other. Absolutely (go in the BC Turf). We have to go and train him for that. We'll worry about that starting tomorrow morning."
Right: Far Bridge heads to the winner's circle. Winning jockey Joel Rosario said, "He's a horse that can do both [be on the lead or stalk] and it looked like on paper there was more speed today. The fractions were a little different than last time, and when they go that fast, he can sit behind it, so that worked. It looked like I had [Silver Knott] the whole time. I asked him and he was there for me. I was just a passenger. When he saw the horse in front of him, he likes to come and get it. He's a runner. He saw the horse in front and he kept coming and did the work."
Left: Second place finisher War Like Goddess returns after the race. Jockey Junior Alvarado said, "The pace was developing exactly how we wanted it and she was traveling beautiful where she was. I had enough horse when I asked her, we just got run down at the end. I don't want to say she's like last year or the year before – she's tailing off a little bit, but still, it's not like she's running bad at all. We just barely got beat by a half a length just because I think that other horse might have cut the corner and that might have helped him to get half a length in front of me right there at the end."
Right: Third place finisher and beaten favorite Silver Knott walks over before the race. The Charlie Appleby trainee improved his record to 6 wins, 2 seconds, and 6 thirds in 17 starts, earning $1,160,776 for owner Godolphin.
 Zulu Kingdom winner of the Pilgrim Stakes |
Jockey Jose Lezcano sent 12-1 Flying Mohawk to the front first time by through fractions of 21.39, 47.96, and 1:14.64 while pressed by 15-1 Smooth Breeze and stalked by Early Adopter and 13-2 fourth choice Noble Confessor. Into the stretch Flying Mohawk continued to lead through 1 mile in 1:42.31 before tiring. Zulu Kingdom, 5th early under Joel Rosario, came out 5 wide for room and outfinished Noble Confessor to win by a neck in 1:48.67. It was a long 4 1/2 lengths back to Early Adopter third.
Left: Zulu Kingdom heads to the winner's circle. Winning trainer Chad Brown said, "He ran great even though he got steadied on the backside. Joel did the right thing covering him up and bided his time. It got a little tight in there. I was happy to see him handle the soft ground - I wasn't sure. It looks like a nice setup for the Breeders' Cup. He's always struck me as a horse that might be even better at a mile with more pace. He's been able to get the job done the last two starts with two good rides and he keeps moving forward. I think we'll see the best of him at a flat mile (BC Juvenile Turf distance)."
Right: The trophy presentation for the Pilgrim Stakes. Winning jockey Joel Rosario said, "He went on. It looked like he was just playing in there, and yeah, just a good effort from him. I think he was just waiting a little bit. He's young. He looked a little bit around, but when he's here [by] himself, when he opened up a little bit, he sees himself with nobody around, so we were just looking for some company."
Left: Second place finisher Noble Confessor walks over before the race. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said, "We broke good and got a good position, but the pace slowed down too much in front of me. So, I had to wait. I had no where to go until the end. I got through there and he responded, gave me a good kick."
Right: Third place finisher Early Adopter returns after the race. Jockey Manny Franco said, "[Smooth Breeze] came out and the winner was going by, so I checked hard. He was running back again but at the same time I feel like he was trying but he wasn't getting over [yielding turf] well. When I put him outside on the turn, I thought he was going to go by, but he was having a hard time getting a hold of it."
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