Woodward Stakes preview: Todd Pletcher sees no blame for Quality Road
Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers once said that: “If you can accept losing, you can't win.”
Four weeks ago, when Quality Road (pictured right) lost out in a tight finish to Blame in the Grade One Whitney Handicap at Saratoga, Todd Pletcher would probably have said that he could have done without the refresher course in the subject.
However, overall it has been a successful meeting for Pletcher, with more than 30 winners thus far as he closes in on his seventh Saratoga trainers’ title. All of which might feel somewhat diminished if Quality Road does not win the Grade One Woodward Stakes.
Quality Road has already run up three impressive victories in the first half of the year, the best of which came in the Grade One Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park in February, where his 12¾-length win propelled him to the position as the leading American-trained horse in the World Thoroughbred Rankings.
History may yet prove that Quality Road’s unavailing attempt to concede 5lb to Blame, who was winning his fifth successive race, was a mighty performance and should be more than enough this time where he heads a field of seven, at level weights, none of whom are in the same league as Blame.
The markets make Quality Road the overwhelming favourite followed by Convocation, with whom trainer Jimmy Jerkens is attempting to follow up his win in last Saturday’s Travers Stakes with Afleet Express. Jerkens knows the strength of the opposition better than anyone else because he trained Quality Road until the colt was switched to Pletcher. “It’s a big pot, Grade One, you’ve got a horse in shape so you might as well take a shot then,” he said. “Quality Road, as great as he is, is coming off for him a dismal effort. Knowing him I’m sure he’ll bounce back, but if not maybe we’ll be there to pick up the pieces.”
Convocation, who went all out to win a second-level allowance race by a neck at Saratoga last month, was beaten seventh lengths (in receipt of 9lbs) by Quality Road in the Grade One Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park in May but still looks the biggest threat in a field that is completed by 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, Arcodoro, Indian Dance, Tranquil Manner and Mythical Power.
Mine That Bird, who finished fifth in the Whitney, has a new jockey, with Rajiv Maragh replacing Calvin Borel. And trainer D Wayne Lukas is going all the way by also trying blinkers but it is hard to see anything improving the gelding’s performance that much from the Whitney.
Pletcher was in philosophical mood when he discussed the Whitney. “Sometimes the ones you’re supposed to win are the hardest ones to win,” he said, as he then led into his thoughts for the Woodward, where he would prefer Quality Road to follow a pace rather than what happened last time where he set the fractions for a late closer like Blame; with the front-running Arcodoro looking Pletcher’s best hope. “That’s the way we’d like to see the race unfold, for someone to show enough initiative that we can put him in a situation where he can follow someone,” he said. “I think that’s his best running style. He’s fast enough that someone’s going to have to run a little bit to make sure they’re ahead of him. That would be our Plan A, to follow someone.”
The plan for a lot of his rivals is the second-place cheque of $150,000, but Eric Guillot, the trainer of Arcodoro, who won over course and distance in July, is not simply here to make the pace or the numbers up. “I came for the dance, not just the music,” Guillot said. “This horse is for real. I don’t know if he can beat Quality Road. He’s a Medaglia d’Oro who is Grade Three-placed. If he could hang on for second or third he’s a stallion prospect.”
The prospects for any of them beating Quality Road looks slim.
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