Wood Memorial 2013: Verrazano's Gain Makes Colt a Kentucky Derby Challenger

Verrazano entered Saturday's Wood Memorial Stakes while the prohibitive favorite, and supported the earned nonsense by emerging victorious over Normandy Invasion and Vyjack, who finished 2nd and third respectively. The news was reported by claire Novak of BloodHorse.com. Verrazano was questioned by Vyjack but managed to stay out in the front by three-quarters of a duration, keeping off a charge down the stretch by Normandy Invasion. Based on Bovada, Verrazano was a 12-1 chance to win the Kentucky Derby before this race, and those chances should only improve after the win. The three-year-old colt is definitely the best threat to win the Race for the Roses at Churchill Downs. It will be interesting to see what jockey John Velazquez does, though, whilst the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown ways. The Hall of Famer provides both Verrazano and surefire Kentucky Derby challenger Orb. He was non-committal concerning which horse he'd saddle up with in Louisville after Saturday's win at Aqueduct Racetrack, as recorded by HRTV's Twitter page: Whether Velazquez is in Verrazano's place or not, there's no room to question any further whether the colt is really a power to be reckoned with. Both Vyjack and Normandy Invasion were another favorites with 3-1 and 5-1 odds, respectively. Those figures were still significantly longer compared to the 4-5 mark that bookmakers listed for Verrazano. ESPN factor Gary West observed prior to the race that Verrazano had won his three previous runs by way of a total of 27 programs. Though success was had in Orchard Park by a much slimmer border, a long way was still gone by it in dismissing concerns concerning whether Verrazano could manage a somewhat longer one-and-one-eighth mile course. Those concerns came into being for many critics as a result of Verrazano's sluggish start at the Tampa Bay Derby, where he still won by three lengths. As USA TODAY's Jennie Rees pointed out, it absolutely was Verrazano's maiden limits race and initially he'd to steer around two turns. So far, so great for Verrazanoa'he's two-for-two. Picture Credit: Associated Press (via Asbury Park Press) If the third time could be the attraction at Churchill Downs remains to be viewed, because projecting success at the Derby from champions of the Wood Memorial does not reveal a regular development. Instructor Todd Pletcher mentioned in Rees' part that Verrazano has the "wow" issue to be a dominant. He said the result from Tampa's hard track is actually more remarkable than satisfies the eyea'not only in light of the initial fall, but additionally since it is not a that lends itself to an extensive margin of victory. Because situation, and after Saturday's strong showing, Verrazano must be viewed among the favorites, at the lowest, in Louisville in the first third of the Triple Crown.