SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) - Quality Road is the favorite to win the $750,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday.
Quality Road experienced his first defeat of the season by Blame in the Whitney Handicap this summer at Saratoga.
``We were a half-a-head short of (being unbeaten) this year,'' trainer Todd Pletcher said. ``Every race is paramount; they're all important. If you lose, you regroup and try again - to regain his confidence, and regain our confidence.''
Beginning the season with three victories - including the prestigious, Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park and Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont - the 4-year-old was ranked the nation's leading older male. That honor is now held by Blame, who isn't among seven entered in the 1 1/8-mile Woodward. Quality Road is an overwhelming 1-4 morning line favorite. John Velazquez will ride.
Quality Road set an unpressured pace in the Whitney before being run down in the late stages by Blame. Pletcher, who believes Quality Road is best when rated behind horses, is hoping the speedy if apparently overmatched Arcodoro will provide a target.
``We're hoping for someone to show enough initiative so he can follow someone,'' Pletcher said. ``That would be our Plan A.''
The New York Racing Association oddsmaker gives 4-year-old Convocation, 6-1 on the morning line, the best chance of upsetting the prohibitive favorite. The Jimmy Jerkens-trained colt finished second in the July 3 Suburban Handicap and was fourth to Quality Road in the Metropolitan Handicap. Javier Castellano, who rode Convocation to victory in a prep for this in Saratoga last month, has the call.
``He has a victory at the distance here,'' Jerkens said. ``You have to think that's big going into a stakes.''
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas hopes a change of rider will boost the performance of Mine That Bird, whose career has been in steady decline since a shocking victory at 50-1 odds in the 2009 Kentucky Derby. He will also race in blinkers. The 4-year-old has failed to win a race since gaining sudden fame at Churchill Downs and will be ridden in the Woodward by Rajiv Maragh, who replaced Mine That Bird's longtime partner Calvin Borel.
``We need to move forward,'' said Lukas, who took over the training of Mine That Bird this year. ``The blinkers, the rider change - we weren't getting results with the way things were.''
Convocation will break from the No. 1 post, Mine That Bird from 2 and Quality Road from 3. The others in order of post position: Arcodoro (David Cohen), Indian Dance (Kent Desormeaux), Tranquil Manner (Alan Garcia) and Mythical Power (Martin Garcia).
