Boxed in around the far turn and spinning his wheels in third as jockey Jorge Chavez went to the whip, 2-5 favorite Lido Palace looked every bit a loser as they straightened for home in yesterday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park.
But just as his backers were ready to tear up their tickets, the 5-year-old Chilean-bred swung out for racing room and finished with a determined run down the stretch to wear down Gander for a three-quarter-length victory, joining all-time greats like Cigar, Slew o’Gold and Forego as a winner of the Woodward two years in a row. Pace-setting Express Tour finished another neck back in third.
“Obviously he likes it outside a bit better,” winning trainer Bobby Frankel said. “He was bottled up most of the way. I think he was a little too sharp. He was laying up close to a quick [:23.1, :45.4] pace. I just wanted him to get to the outside at the top of the stretch.”
Lido Palace ran the mile-and-an-eighth in 1:47.3. He paid $2.90, keying a $10.60 exacta.
In the Man o’War Stakes that preceded the Woodward, 4-5 choice With Anticipation also gave his fans some anxious moments, turning in a virtual carbon-copy of his last start, the Sword Dancer at Saratoga.
Both times, the big gray, nearly-white 7-year-old gelding appeared hopelessly beaten turning for home, then kicked in with a furious late rush to win under “Patient Pat” Day.
In the Man o’War, at a mile-and-three-eighths over the inner turf course, Balto Star was nursed along on an uncontested lead by jockey Rich Migliore through trotting-horse fractions of :25.3, :51 and 1:16, as With Anticipation shadowed him in second.
Around the far turn Balto Star was still in command, and when he scooted away to a three-length advantage in midstretch, it appeared that “Wait All Day” waited a bit too long to turn his horse loose.
But when finally asked to run, With Anticipation suddenly found another gear. Racing the final furlong in a startling :11.1, he shot past Balto Star to win by a length. Man from Wicklow finished a half-length back in third.
With a final time of 2:15, With Anticipation paid $3.90 on top of a $28.60 exacta.
In yesterday’s other Grade 1 at Belmont, front-running Imperial Gesture easily turned back a bid from Take Charge Lady to win the $250,000 Gazelle Handicap by 2½ lengths. Bella Bellucci, the 7-5 favorite in the field of seven 3-year-old fillies, was never a threat and finished well back in third.
Ridden by Jose Santos for the first time, Imperial Gesture broke alertly, assumed a clear lead coming out of the backside chute and set solid fractions of :23 and :46.3.
Take Charge Lady, coming off a 41/2-month layoff with Edgar Prado up, moved up to challenge for the lead turning for home, but once they straightened away Imperial Gesture drew off again.
