Three takeaways from the 2021 Wood Memorial

Apr 06, 2021 by James Scully/TwinSpires.com

The Wood Memorial (G2) served up a massive upset, as Bourbonic rallied last-to-first at 72-1 odds in the major Kentucky Derby qualifier.

Here are three takeaways from the Wood Memorial.

Bourbonic?

Bourbonic was as big a surprise as it comes. The former
claimer appeared overmatched, exiting a well-beaten second in an entry-level
allowance at Parx. And the confirmed closer received a terrible setup, biding
his time in last behind a dawdling opening six furlongs in 1:14.98.

A Calumet homebred Bernardini colt, Bourbonic didn’t start
to make headway until the conclusion of the far turn, swinging extremely wide
into the stretch, and he motored through the final sixteenth of a mile to get
up by a head on the wire.

Bourbonic received a 109 Brisnet Late Pace rating.

After notching his first Grade 1 win aboard Calumet’s True
Timber in December’s Cigar Mile H., Kendrick Carmouche achieved another career
highlight. Calumet won the Wood Memorial for the first time in the race’s
97-year history. Todd Pletcher inched closer to Hall of Fame trainer “Sunny Jim”
Fitzsimmons’s record (seven wins), saddling his sixth Wood winner.

Pletcher runners advance;
Weyburn to aim for Belmont Stakes

Pletcher also send out Dynamic
One, who sustained a tough beat finishing second.

The last-out maiden winner surged from just off the pace to
a clear lead in upper stretch, and appeared home free after turning back a
serious challenge from eventual third-placer Crowded Trade, but could not hold off his stablemate from the
clouds.

By Union Rags, Dynamic One broke his maiden by 5 1/2 lengths
when stretching out to 1 1/8 miles in early March, and the chestnut colt is progressing
nicely at longer distances.

Pletcher now has four runners inside the top 20 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. Known
Agenda is safely in the mix after winning the Florida Derby (G1), and Jeff Ruby
Steaks (G3) runner-up Sainthood sits 20th in the standings with 40 points.

Crowded Trade, who currently ranks 19th, is expected to bypass
the Kentucky Derby after coming up a little short in his last two starts. Gotham S. (G3) victor Weyburn checked in
fourth on Saturday, increasing his point total to 60, but Allen Jerkens indicated
the sophomore would likely point to the Belmont Stakes (G1) instead of the
first leg of the Triple Crown.

Derby futility may
continue

It’s been 18 years since the Wood Memorial produced a
Kentucky Derby winner (Funny Cide), and it did not look like a
strong edition in 2021.

Bourbonic registered only a 94 Brisnet Speed rating, which
will be one of the lowest last-out numbers in the Kentucky Derby field.

The winner’s late run was visually impressive, but Kentucky
Oaks contender Search Results ran faster (1:54.14) in the 1 1/8-mile Gazelle S.
G3) a few races earlier behind slower opening fractions (six furlongs in 1:15.06).