Clint Maroon always in control in Woodhaven

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Empire of War and Forty Under had the résumé, but Clint Maroon had the recency, versatility and, apparently, the talent to be a stakes performer.

Breaking alertly under Irad Ortiz Jr., Clint Maroon made it to the front easily and maintained a measured advantage throughout before pulling away in the stretch to win Saturday’s $100,000 Woodhaven Stakes by four lengths at soggy Aqueduct. Forty Under, last year's Grade 3 Pilgrim winner, finished second by 5 3/4 lengths over Empire of War, the 2018 Awad Stakes winner. Five Star General and Family Biz completed the order of finish.

Both Forty Under and Empire of War, stakes winners at 2, were making their seasonal debuts in the Woodhaven. Clint Maroon was making his fourth start of the year and was coming off two straight victories at Gulfstream Park over firm ground.

He had won a maiden race on the lead and an allowance race from off the pace. Saturday, Ortiz figured he’d be sitting second off Five Star General.

But Clint Maroon broke sharp and when Five Star General didn’t respond to Joe Bravo’s urging to go, Ortiz gladly accepted the lead.

Over a yielding turf course that seemed to hold up pretty well despite heavy overnight and early morning rains, Clint Maroon set splits of 25.69 seconds for the quarter, 51.17 for the half, 1:15.98 for six furlongs, 1:39.74 for the mile, and covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.79. Clint Maroon, a Great Britain-bred gelding by Oasis Dream owned by Vinnie Viola’s St. Elias Stable, returned $7.30 as the second choice.

Ortiz said his and trainer Todd Pletcher’s plan was to sit second behind Five Star General.

“I see [Bravo] tried to send but his horse couldn’t make the lead, so I took it,” Ortiz said. “I rode him with confidence, we got slow factions, he was relaxed and when I asked him to go he responded really well.”

The victory may have earned Clint Maroon a shot at the Grade 3, $200,000 Pennine Ridge at Belmont on June 1.

Forty Under, the even-money favorite under Manny Franco, was making his first start since a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Trainer Jeremiah Englehart wasn’t overly disappointed with Saturday’s result given the slow early pace.

“Manny said he got stuck down inside behind a really slow pace, that wasn’t really what we were thinking would happen,” Englehart said. “We wanted to sit but [the pace] just got backed down and the leader was able to kick on. For me, it’s a good place to start and we’ll go from there.”