Wood Memorial

COUNTDOWN REWIND: WOOD MEMORIAL

By Jeremy Plonk

Date: Saturday, April 6, 2013
Track: Aqueduct
Kentucky Derby Points Awarded: 100-40-20-10
Distance: 1 1/8 miles (2 turns) on dirt

HANDICAPPERS’ RECAP: Three key players in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial all showed up for work, and the prep that has struggled the past decade to impact the Kentucky Derby appeared to get all that it could have out of this 2013 lineup. Previously unbeatens VERRAZANO (Todd Pletcher) and VYJACK (Rudy Rodriguez) locked horns in the upper stretch, while late-running Remsen runner-up NORMANDY INVASION (Chad Brown) earned his way back into good graces. It’s been since 2003 that the Wood produced a horse to finish in the money in the Kentucky Derby, but this year’s alumni look poised to challenge that fact. This wasn’t a dominant lineup top to bottom, but beyond the “big three” the Wood offered a blend of capable stakes performers from Oaklawn, Laurel and locally at Aqueduct.

ON THE CLOCK: Given the fractions, you’d swear this race was on Polytrack or turf. The final clocking of 1:50.27 for 1 1/8 miles was achieved in splits of 24.89, 24.73, 24.12, 23.98 and 12.55 the last furlong. Each of the quarter-mile splits quickened from the previous, thanks to a slow early pace. The half-mile in 49.62 clocked about 12 lengths slower than the Grade 1 Gazelle for 3-year-old fillies a few races prior on the card. The final time for the Wood pushed past the Gazelle time of Close Hatches by just over a length.  The 2013 Wood ranked the fourth-slowest for this even in the last 20 years, while out-footed only Gemologist, Tale of Ekati and Bob and John over the past two decades. Evaluating this race on times is a mixed bag, albeit still difficult to leave overly positive.

THE EYE TEST: VERRAZANO navigated a dream trip after breaking sharply, pressing second behind a 77-1 shot sprinter that you did not have to respect even with the slow pace. To his credit, VERRAZANO made the trip and relaxed for his rider down the backstretch instead of attacking. So there’s no knock to this performance based on trip, but your want to give extra credit for this result has to be tempered because of the ease of the trip. He did what he was supposed to do.  But VERRAZANO did not readily put away CRHISANDTHECAPPER (Jason Servis) exiting the far turn like you would have expected and never got any separation from this field. VYJACK followed him around most of the trip and appeared poised to strike at the quarter-pole but did not finish with quite enough flair. NORMANDY INVASION was kept much closer to the pace and followed right behind VYJACK much of the trip as the favorites almost were lined up in succession, single-file style. NORMANDY INVASION moved best late not only in terms of making up ground, but also from a visual standpoint of his stride and he galloped out a few lengths in front. MR. PALMER (Bill Mott) was an even fourth but never threatened with no real excuses. FREEDOM CHILD (Tom Albertrani) still was being held by the assistant starter when the gates sprang open and was rightfully declared a non-starter and wagers refunded. GO GET THE BASIL (Rick Violette) lunged before the break and may have beaten the starter by a split-second in a strange opening to the race.

PROJECTING THE WOOD MEMORIAL FORWARD: The top three finishers all earned their way to Louisville and are very deserving entrants if they remain healthy, a curse that has snake-bitten Wood performers of recent years like Eskendereya, I Want Revenge et al.  VERRAZANO will be Mike Battaglia’s morning line favorite, he’s stated, and the unbeaten colt will try to exorcise the Apollo naysayers and become the first horse since 1882 to win the Derby without racing as a juvenile. This Wood performance did not stress his dominance over the crop and will challenge horseplayers to warrant taking a short price against such long and meaningful historical odds. NORMANDY INVASION will be the hot horse in Louisville and everyone’s wise-guy pick. He could be second or third choice by post time, and don’t be shocked if a super workout pushes him near co-favoritism. Brown trainees always take wagering action and he appears New York’s best shot at the roses the way he finished up the Wood Memorial. VYJACK dealt with some health issues in the Wood, both mucus and potentially bleeding through Lasix have been reported, and was beaten only one length in a performance that he can build off of, but one that took some of the shine off his apple. VYJACK rates a horse to pay very close attention to his workouts between now and Derby Day as he’ll likely tip his hand which way he’s going.