Woodward J

AMERICAN
GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

Will history be made in Saturday’s $750,000 Woodward S. (G1) at Saratoga? A
lot of racing fans, including this one, will be fervently rooting for RACHEL
ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d’Oro) to become the first three-year-old filly ever to win
this prestigious nine-furlong race, which dates to 1954. If she does, she’ll be
an overwhelming favorite to be named Horse of the Year, the first of her age and
sex to be so honored in 64 years. Is this a stellar crop of older horses she
faces? Comparatively speaking, not by a longshot. Is it the best group that can
be assembled in the Eastern half of the United States? Yes, and that’s really
all that matters to make this a demanding test.

Our heart indeed is pulling for Rachel, but our head also says she’s the best
option. Her BRIS Speed ratings have been consistently higher than those of her
rivals over the past several months, the distance is a perfect fit (she’s
three-for-three), and her tactical foot should enable her to get the jump on some of
the more serious contenders. She’s continued to sparkle in her morning
trials since her Haskell Invitational (G1) score, so the stars seem to be
aligning again for a typical Rachel Alexandra performance.

Though he endured a couple hiccups in the Sunshine Millions Classic and
Alysheba S. (G3), MACHO AGAIN (Macho Uno) has otherwise had a consistent
campaign this season, winning the New Orleans H. (G2) and Stephen Foster H. (G1)
and finishing second in the Whitney H. (G1) last time. Aside from a troubled
trip in last year’s Travers S. (G1), the gray has typically brought his best
every time he’s entered the Saratoga starting gate. We would be surprised not to
see him gain one of the major prizes here.

ASIATIC BOY (Arg) (Not for Sale) finished second in both the Stephen Foster
and Suburban H. (G2) in his two U.S. appearances, and he should continue to show
that positive form in this spot. The form of the latter race did not hold up
well when Dry Martini (Slew Gin Fizz) finished a distant fifth in the Whitney,
but considering this one was only a length behind Macho Again in the Stephen
Foster while giving five pounds to that rival, we think the equal weight carried
by both can narrow the gap between the two this time.

BULLSBAY (Tiznow) looked great when upsetting the Whitney at 18-1, but some
kind of regression off that peak effort cannot be ruled out. On the plus side,
he’s edged Macho Again in two of their three meetings this season, and any
noticeable price difference between the two in either direction should be taken
into account when devising a wagering plan.

Another Saratoga fiend, PAST THE POINT (Indian Charlie), gave two-time Horse
of the Year Curlin a brief scare in this race last year when finishing second.
He’s 4-2-2-0 on this surface, and can be forgiven his relatively moderate form
on synthetics earlier in the year. We’re not quite convinced, however, that a
single seven-furlong prep is sufficient to prepare him for a field this tough.
IT’S A BIRD (Birdonthewire) was fairly sharp early in the year, though his most
convincing win in the Oaklawn H. (G2) was later stripped after a medication
positive. He had no real excuse when seventh in the Suburban, and a complete
rebound from that seems unlikely.

The Nick Zito-trained entry of COOL COAL MAN (Mineshaft) and DA’ TARA
(Tiznow) don’t seem good enough. Cool Coal Man has been more productive in
overnight stakes of late, while Belmont S. (G1) winner Da’ Tara’s reputation
continues to take a major hit. Not only has he not won since shocking Big Brown
in the final leg of the 2008 Triple Crown, he’s lost four times at the
allowance/optional claiming level in the interim.