Posted on 4/5/2008 4:47:15 PM

Horse Racing Odds - Grade I Wood Memorial and Santa Anita Derby

By D.S Williamson

After this Saturday the Kentucky Derby will be a month away. This Saturday is one of my favorite days in racing. The Santa Anita Derby is a tradition in my family. I’ve been going to the race for years and this Saturday will be no different. Of course, just because I go to the race it doesn’t mean that I believe it’s the best race of the day.

That would be the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Man, there are a lot of good horses in that race! We’ll start first by looking at the Wood and then we will take a look at the Santa Anita Derby.

Let’s get to it!

Grade I Wood Memorial

Aqueduct Racetrack - - Jamaica, NY

1 1/8th miles on dirt

This is one heckuva field lined up in the Wood Memorial. All eyes will be on War Pass who just gave it up in the Tampa Bay Derby. Even though there probably isn’t anything wrong with War Pass, I have to take a pass on him. I mean, he just quit in that Tampa Bay Derby race. If you don’t like the chalk, then go with the horse that I’m eyeing - - Texas Wildcatter. Texas Wildcatter is number eight on my Kentucky Derby Power Rankings. Why? Well, heck, because he’s trained by Todd Pletcher, is out of Monarchos, and has improved figure-wise in every race. This horse hasn’t taken a step back. If he improves at all in this race, he could easily hand War Pass his second straight defeat. I expect a huge race out of Texas Wildcatter on Saturday. For second I still don’t like War Pass. War Pass is fast enough to get the lead and cruise to a win, no doubt, but he will be pressed every step of the way by Giant Moon. Giant Moon, out of Giant’s Causeway, is actually more suited for the 1 1/8th journey around the Aqueduct main track than War Pass. Yes, he did lose by 47 lengths in his last race, but things were an absolute mess that day. He never got his feet under him. I’m inclined to give Moon one more shot. For third, I’m going with Roman Emperor who I just have to believe is a good horse. He’s out of Empire Maker. Empire Maker doesn’t throw losers. Beat War Pass in the Wood and cash a very nice ticket!

1. Texas Wildcatter

2. Giant Moon

3. Roman Emperor

Grade I Santa Anita Derby

Santa Anita Park - - Arcadia, CA

1 1/8th miles on cushion track

In the past the Santa Anita Derby has produced many a Kentucky Derby contender. Remember Silver Charm and Free House in 1997? Both came out of the Santa Anita Derby. What about The Deputy in 2000? We can even go way back and discuss the merits of Sunday Silence and Winning Colors in the 1980’s. In any case the Santa Anita Derby is a huge race. The difference, of course, is that for the first time the S.A. Derby will be run on cushion track and not conventional dirt. How that affects the horses come the first Saturday in May is anybody’s guess. When it comes to this race the likely favorite, and my pick, looks extremely solid. Colonel John should go off the favorite in this race. I also think he should win this race. The problem with Colonel John is that he appears slow, but look closer and you see that he hasn’t run on conventional dirt before. There’s no telling how fast he really is. Here’s hoping that Colonel John wins the Santa Anita Derby with a horribly underappreciated Beyer Figure. Why? Because he’ll be a nice long-shot come Derby Day. John is still out of a fella named Tiznow. Tiznow won the Breeders’ Cup Classic as a 3-year old on the Churchill Down’s strip. John seems to have his daddy’s intensity. That will take him a long way in the Santa Anita Derby and on the first Saturday in May. For second, I really like the look of this Todd Pletcher horse, On the Virg. He’s out of Pulpit and, like Pletcher’s horse in the Wood, Texas Wildcatter, has improved in all three of his races. He’s getting faster at the right time and could pull a nice upset. Third place should go to likely second choice El Gato Malo. El Gato Malo might go off the favorite even though Colonel John beat him the last time these two met. In any case El Gato Malo is a good horse as well and could easily win this race.

1. Colonel John

2. On the Virg

3. El Gato Malo

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