Unanimous Consent gets up late in Woodhaven, improves to 3 for 3
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Unanimous Consent improved his record to 3 for 3, displaying a strong late run under Manny Franco to win Saturday’s $100,000 Woodhaven Stakes for 3-year-olds by 1 3/4 lengths at Aqueduct.
Fort Washington finished second by a nose over pacesetting Chanceux. Ohtwoohthreefive, Heaven Street and Maseta completed the order of finish. Doctor Jeff was scratched.
Unanimous Consent had won his first two starts, last September at Monmouth Park and in February at Tampa Bay Downs, with less-than-ideal trips. On Saturday, he settled into fifth position early while saving ground under Franco.
Around the far turn, when the field began to go after Chanceux - who had set a modest pace of 1:13.37 for six furlongs - Franco was forced to come five wide into the lane. When Franco straightened Unanimous Consent out, he kicked home nicely, overtaking Chanceux around the sixteenth pole and winning in hand.
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Franco said he moved when Jose Lezcano began to make his move aboard Fort Washington, who was about a length in front of him. Franco said he didn’t mind having to go a bit wide.
“I don’t want to get stuck [inside] with him because he’s a horse that takes a little bit to get going,” Franco said. “When I made my move I wanted to go all in and that’s what I did and he gave me a nice kick.”
Unanimous Consent, a Great Britain-bred son of Almanzor owned by Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables, covered the 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:42.95 and returned $5.10 as the favorite.
“I thought Manny did a really good job to let him run out of the gate and get position and he found cover early and I felt really good,” said trainer Chad Brown, who will finish as the leading trainer at Aqueduct's spring meet. "He goes on and off the bridle a little bit in his races, but I wasn’t too concerned about it. He needs to be encouraged a little bit at different times in his races and I thought Manny rode a great race from start to finish.”
Brown said he looks forward to stretching Unanimous Consent out in distance and will look at the Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge going 1 1/8 miles on June 4 at Belmont Park.