Social Inclusion to go in Woody Stephens Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Owner Ron Sanchez had planned to withhold his decision on whether to run Social Inclusion in the Belmont Stakes until after his schooling session Wednesday morning. But after discussing the situation further with trainer Manny Azpurua on Tuesday, Sanchez felt there was no sense in prolonging the issue, opting to take the more conservative route and bypass the Belmont in lieu of Saturday’s seven-furlong Woody Stephens Stakes.

“The more I thought about it yesterday, I figured even if he schooled well this morning, there would be nobody back there at the gate, and there will be 100,000 people in front of him Saturday if he ran in the Belmont,” Sanchez said Wednesday. “And after schooling him this morning, I knew I made the right decision.”

Social Inclusion behaved a lot better during his schooling session Wednesday than he had 48 hours earlier, although starter Roy Williamson still requested he return to the gate once more Friday before running in the Woody Stephens.

“The Woody Stephens is a good spot for us, although no race is easy,” Sanchez said. “We’ll just try to win this one and then go to the Haskell. That’s our plan for the moment.”

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Social Inclusion was third in both the Grade 1 Wood Memorial and the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes after beginning his career this year with two impressive victories at Gulfstream Park.