Woods is nails in Gulfstream MdSpWt score
Promising 3-year-old colt Woods showed grit to graduate at second asking in a $43,000 Maiden Special Weight race at Gulfstream on April 12, digging in late along the rail to repel a couple of challenges before proving best at the wire under jockey Rajiv Maragh.
The good-looking son of Twirling Candy broke well from the inside and took the early advantage in the 1 1/16-mile contest over the local Tapeta surface. On the far turn, Woods came under pressure and even relinquished the lead in the stretch. But he fought back gamely under strong handling to get his nose in when it mattered most.
“He was so resilient,” said Maragh. “Team Pletcher had him ready. The more I asked the more he gave.”
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Woods improved on his troubled fifth-place finish last month over the Gulfstream lawn in his racing debut. While he remains an unfinished product, Woods has come alive in his training since his first start, and we believe he will only continue to get better.
Campaigned by our Eclipse Partners, Sabby Racing, and Bob LaPenta, Woods was the very last horse consigned by longtime juvenile sale staple Eddie Woods at last year’s OBS April Sale—rightfully earning his name.