Woodward defectors create strong field for Battery Park
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Three horses entered in Saturday’s Grade 2 Woodward at Aqueduct will skip the prestigious race in order to run in the $200,000 Battery Park Stakes on Sunday at Delaware Park. This exodus could leave a three-horse field in New York while a fuller field of seven rivals are entered to round out the Sunday card in Delaware.
When Norm Casse cross-entered Awesome Aaron, he mostly did so to test the waters in the Woodward, a prevailing sentiment among the defecting trainers. When he saw the field, he realized that he would likely have the longest shot and backed off those plans.
Since earning a gritty win over Phileas Fogg in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special, Awesome Aaron has not shown the same spark in a pair of Grade 2 attempts. He faltered to finish sixth by 31 1/4 lengths in the Suburban before running on for a distant fourth in the Charles Town Classic.
“I think the Suburban is a throw-out, and I think he ran a really good race in the Charles Town Classic,” Casse said. “He was buried inside, not where you wanted to be that day at Charles Town. So we thought he ran really well under the circumstances.”
Kenny McPeek explained that Gould’s Gold “didn’t get much respect” in the Woodward when he cross-entered him. The trainer was already leaning toward the Battery Park early this week.
In the Charles Town Classic last month, Gould’s Gold closed from eighth to nab third from Awesome Aaron by a half-length. He will ship to Delaware Park as the 8-5 morning-line favorite.
The rematching Charles Town Classic rivals will be joined by five horses coming out of allowances. Film Star should be the strongest contender in this group coming off a pair of victories at Saratoga. Linda Rice entered him for a $100,000 tag last month, and he was claimed by trainer Rob Atras, who will immediately test him in stakes company.
Atras also entered Film Star in the Woodward and described it as “chess and checkers” trying to figure out where to place his horse. After speaking with both racing offices, he ultimately landed on the Battery Park as the more reasonable spot.
Wilmington Stakes
Comedy Town, a 7-year-old gelding trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., will be one of many horses looking for a bounce-back effort in the $100,000 Wilmington Stakes. The two-time stakes winner will make his second start off a short layoff after a poor finish in the $100,000 Speightstown Sprint at Lone Star Park in May.
“He ran a lot better off the layoff than he did in Texas,” Joseph said. “I thought he was heading in the right direction. I feel like this is a good spot.”
Joseph brought the gelding back in a $120,000 allowance at Saratoga in late August, where he dueled for the early lead and eventually finished third behind Baby Yoda.
Silver Slugger and Super Chow, the first two finishers in the $100,000 Rumson last month, will meet again in the Wilmington. Both 5-year-olds should be forwardly placed and will likely challenge Comedy Town for the early lead in the six-furlong sprint.
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