The 2011 Woodward Stakes Results

Joe Talamo Says:

Havre de Grace will attempt to defeat seven males in the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes Sept. 3 at Saratoga. She is arguably one of the two best mares in the country and has won three of her last four starts. The main threat figures to be Flat Out, who finished second to Tizway in the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 6. He is in top form and prior to the Whitney ran a monster race in the Grade 2 Suburban at Belmont. Close to the pace will be Rule who most recently won the Birdstone Stakes at Saratoga at the same 1-1/8 distance of Saturday's Woodward. Giant Oak won the Grade 1 Donn earlier this year but could only get within 3-1/2 lengths of Flat Out in the Whitney. Mambo Meister breaks from the far outside and is coming off an eleven-length victory in a non-graded stakes at Calder, and in fact has the best last race speed figure, but he will be taking a steep step up in class now. Mission Impazible threw in a clunker in the Whitney last month and hopes to rebound. Ice Box has struggled since his second place finish in the 2010 Kentucky Derby and will be a long-shot.