Saint Liam, Commentator Renew Rivalry in Woodward
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Greg Melikov
Sep 7, 2005
The one-two finishers in the Whitney Handicap renew their rivalry Saturday in the $500,000 Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park.
Saint Liam breezed six furlongs in 1:16 3/5 last Saturday at Aqueduct and made Richard Dutrow Jr. a happy trainer. "He worked great. I'm very confident. He's doing super."
The historic Grade 1 event is shaping up as a grudge match between Saint Liam and Commentator, wire-to-wire winner of the Whitney at Saratoga.
Dutrow blamed himself for the neck loss. "I should have entered a 'rabbit.' " He decided to run two, Crafty Player and Show Boot, in the 1 1/8-mile contest because "I don't want Commentator getting loose again."
There are only four betting interests because trainer Nick Zito also has a coupled entry, Commentator and Sir Shackleton. The other horse is longshot Todd Pletcher's Shaniko with John Velazquez aboard.
Saint Liam, who won the Donn and Stephen Foster handicaps earlier in 2005, gets a new jockey. Jerry Bailey replaces Edgar Prado, who was on the 5-year-old son of Saint Ballado in his last nine starts, including eight consecutive victories.
"The owner (Mr. and Mrs. William Warren Jr.) wanted to make a change for the race," Dutrow explained.
When the gate opened for the Whitney, Gary Stevens sent the 4-year-old son of Distorted Humor straight to the front and he got loose on the lead down the backstretch with Saint Liam 5 ½ lengths behind after six furlongs run in 1:09 3/5.
At the top of the stretch, Prado asked Saint Liam for his rally and the favorite closed the gap strongly through the lane to get within 1 ½ lengths at the eighth pole.
"My horse caught another gear, and I thought I was going to catch him," the jockey said Aug. 6. "He kept trying, but couldn't get it done. We lost to a really fast horse."
Commentator ran the 1 1/8 miles, the same distance as the Woodward, in 1:48 1/5.
The Woodward is named for the man who chaired the Jockey Club, the breed registry for all thoroughbreds in North America, from 1930 to '50. William Woodward's famous Belair Stud colors were carried to victory 631 times from '23 to '53.
Belair Stable, part of Belair Stud, was one of the premier racing outfits. Woodward's outstanding horses included the father-son Triple Crown duo of Gallant Fox in '30 and 'Omaha in '35. He also owned Nashua, '55 Horse of the Year who only lost once.
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