The Grade 1, US$500,000 Woodward returns to Belmont Park after being held for the last 15 years at Saratoga. The race will be run going 1 1/8 miles, which at Belmont is run around one turn on the main track.
In the years at Saratoga, the Woodward was won by champions and Breeders’ Cup winners – Lawyer Ron, Curlin, Rachel Alexandra, Havre de Grace, Liam’s Map and Gun Runner.
The field of six for this year’s race includes three millionaires and five horses that are graded-stakes winners, with two at the Grade 1 level, a Grade 2 winner, and two Grade 3 victors.
Here is a full field analysis for the Woodward with odds provided by the Horse Racing Nation staff. The Woodward is carded as race 10 out of 11 with post time scheduled for 5:45 p.m. EDT.
- Dr Post(6-1 – Quality Road – Todd Pletcher / Irad Ortiz Jr. – 10: 4-1-2 - US$820,635) Dr Post picked up the first of a pair of Grade 3 victories in his 2021 debut in the Westchester. He then was fifth in the Met Mile (G1) followed by a win in the Monmouth Cup (G3) with blinkers on for the first time. Trainer Todd Pletcher then decided to ship him to Del Mar to try the Pacific Classic (G1), where he raced wide and then closed to finish a non-threatening third. Use underneath.
- Maxfield(8-5 – Street Sense – Brendan Walsh / Jose Ortiz – 9: 7-1-1 - US$1,405,902) Maxfield is one of the Grade 1 winners in the Woodward field, and that victory was in 2019. Both of his losses came in his two starts in Grade 1s this year – a third-place finish in the Santa Handicap and a second in the Whitney, where nobody was going to beat Knicks Go who had that favorable pace scenario. The son of Street Sense has been working with blinkers on and is likely to wear them in a race for the first time in the Woodward. Maxfield is by far the most consistent and best qualified horse in the field. The one to beat.
- Art Collector(3-1 – Bernardini – Bill Mott / Luis Saez – 14: 7-1-0 - US$1,260,305) Art Collector is back in fine form, putting two victories together since moving back to the barn of Bill Mott. He had a four-race winning streak last year that included the Blue Grass (G2) and now has two consecutive firsts in the Alydar at Saratoga and then the Charles Town Classic (G2), both with Luis Saez aboard. The son of Bernardini does his best running while part of the early pace and in this small field is likely to be on the lead. Win contender.
- Mo Gotcha(30-1 – Uncle Mo – Naipaul Chatterpaul / Jalon Samuel – 21: 5-2-6 - $291,724) This 5-year-old gelding was claimed for US$40,000 two races ago after finishing second by a nose at Saratoga. New trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul brought him back on two weeks rest in the long-distance Grand Prix American at Belmont Park on Sept. 18 where he finished third at odds of 18-1. Now he’s back again on two weeks rest in the Woodward having never won a stakes race. Toss.
- Code of Honor(7-2 – Noble Mission – Shug McGaughey / Paco Lopez – 17: 7-4-2 - $2,881,320) Code of Honor is one of two Grade 1 winners in this field; that win also came in 2019 with his three-length victory in the Travers (G1). He had only one win in 2020 in the Westchester (G3) in his first start of that year, although he was competitive in subsequent starts. After a seven-month layoff, the son of Noble Mission returned with a convincing score in the Iselin (G3) at Monmouth Park. He has never run a bad race at Belmont. Win contender.
- Forza Di Oro(9-2 – Speightstown – Bill Mott / Junior Alvarado – 7: 4-1-1 - $309,375) Forza Di Oro had a three-race winning streak end when he stepped up to finish third after setting the pace in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga behind Max Player and Happy Saver. That win streak included a score in the Discovery (G3) at Aqueduct in November 2020. This Bill Mott runner has a great record at Belmont, with two wins from three starts. He might pressure Art Collector in the early going. Trifecta possibility.
Summary: The record of Maxfield speaks for itself with consistency and accomplishment on his side, and thus he deserves to be the favorite in the Woodward and is the most likely winner. If you want to poke holes in his past performances, you can point out that the two losses in his career came this year in his only starts in Grade 1 races.
Looking at the field, you can eliminate only Mo Gotcha as a possible contender. The others are all graded-stakes winners with noteworthy recent performances. On their best day, they all have run races that could upset Maxfield or put them in the exacta. Art Collector has the best recent form, and Code of Honor has never run worse than third in six starts at Belmont Park, including three of his wins.
