Willcox Inn ready and waiting for the signal to start the quest for his first grade 1 win in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby
With many memorable victories for the 3-year-old colt, Willcox Inn, his connections would like to add one more to the trophy case when they send out Willcox Inn to participate in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby as a heavy favourite to win the race based on his recent past where he destroyed his competition at will sometimes.
Michael Stidham trained colt is coming fresh off a win in the Grade 3 Hawthorne Derby over at a distance of 1 1/8 miles at Hawthorne race course on 15 October, 2011, where he defeated the only runner who has finished second to his third time this season, Suntracer, and bagged the race with the winning time of 1 minute and 48.97 seconds.
Willcox Inn going for the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby holds a lot of significance for him, because the only two times that he misfired this season was in grade 1 races. Starting from the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes where finished an unplaced eighth over Keeneland’s synthetic surface.
Brilliant Speed won the race and covered the 1 1/8 mile distance in 1 minute and 50.92 seconds.
The second time it happened was in his penultimate race, where he tried his luck in a grade 1 after two back to back wins, but it wasn’t enough in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes as Willcox Inn couldn’t finish on the board, but a little off it on fourth to winner Treasure Beach, Ziyarid in second and Banned in third at Arlington Park.
3 wins out of 6 starts this season, Willcox Inn landed his first one of the season in the Arlington Classic over at 1 1/16 miles when he defeated Suntracer in second and Extensive in third, while he wrapped up the race in 1 minute and 49.51 seconds.
Second was also at Arlington Park, but this time it was grade 2 event, and much to his connections’ delight, colt finally landed a grade 2 race, the American Derby was the race where Willcox Inn showed a lot of potential and managed a clear run to cover the distance in 1 minute and 54.56 seconds.
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