Belmont Stakes Winner Sir Winston Back in Woodchopper

Since American Pharoah  won the Triple Crown in 2015, followed later by victories in the William Hill Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), it has been a quiet few years of racing for Belmont Stakes (G1) winners. Creator was unplaced in two starts following his 2016 Belmont triumph; Tapwrit  lost all five of his races after taking the 2017 Belmont; and Justify  never raced again after winning the 2018 Triple Crown, retired that summer with an ankle injury.

Racing for the first time since winning the June 8 Belmont this year, Sir Winston has a chance to reverse that trend when he returns Dec. 28 in the $75,000 Woodchopper Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

A turf test at about a mile, the race drew a field of 13, plus three-also eligibles, with horsemen eager to participate in one of the final stakes of the year restricted to 3-year-olds. Besides Sir Winston, the race includes graded stakes winners Flying Scotsman, Forty Under, and Hog Creek Hustle—though the latter, a dirt runner who won the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) on Belmont Stakes Day is expected to scratch if the race remains on the turf.

There is a chance of showers Saturday in New Orleans, though any precipitation is forecast by the National Weather Service to be light. Friday's scheduled turf races were rained off the grass and moved to the main track.

Mark Casse, who trains Sir Winston for owner-breeder Tracy Farmer, said the Woodchopper was an appealing comeback spot, allowing the colt to stay in his age group. It follows time off for him to recuperate from an ankle injury.

"I've always felt that turf racing is definitely kinder on horses. So I just wanted him to have a nice good first experience, a good race back. They don't have to be quite as fit racing on the turf as they do the dirt," he noted. "That being said, if it were to rain a lot and come off the grass it wouldn't hurt my feelings."

A son of Awesome Again out of the Afleet Alex  mare La Gran Bailadora, Sir Winston has raced just once on grass, finishing ninth in a maiden race at Saratoga Race Course in July 2018 in his second career start.

"He hadn't figured it out yet," Casse said. "I sure wouldn't base (his turf ability) on that performance. He's a better horse now than he was then. His dirt race wasn't too good at that point in time, either."

It was later in his 2-year-old year that he began to hit his stride, winning twice on the synthetic Tapeta surface at Woodbine, topped by the Display Stakes there late in his juvenile campaign. He then finished out of the money in three Kentucky Derby (G1) preps at 3 before peaking at Belmont Park in the spring, running second in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3) before his Belmont Stakes score.

Video: Belmont S. (G1)

If Sir Winston performs well in the Woodchopper, Casse said he'd like to start him in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park. 

Miguel Mena will ride late-running Sir Winston, the 7-2 morning-line favorite who should benefit from an above-average amount of pace in the race.

Other stalkers or closers that could rally from behind a spirited pace include Tracksmith and Marquee Prince, whom ran 2-3, respectively, in the Nov. 9 Commonwealth Turf Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs. The latter was a dual stakes winner at Fair Grounds last winter, taking the Lloyd Captain Maestri Memorial Stakes at the mile trip on the turf and the one-mile Black Gold Stakes on a dirt surface labeled good.

Two other $75,000 stakes races on the grass, the Pan Zareta Stakes and Pago Hop Stakes, are part of the 10-race card at Fair Grounds Saturday. Stakes winners Change of Control and Play On are the favorites in the Pan Zareta, while Dalika is the 3-1 choice in the Pago Hop after a runner-up finish Nov. 29 in the Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T) at Churchill.

Entries: Woodchopper S.

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, December 28, 2019, Race 9

• STK
• About 1m
• Turf
• $75,000
• 3 yo
• 4:22 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Flying Scotsman (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	116	Jack Sisterson	12/1
2	2Irish Heatwave (CA)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	118	Jack Sisterson	20/1
3	3Forty Under (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	116	Jeremiah C. Englehart	20/1
4	4Marquee Prince (KY)	Florent Geroux	116	Brad H. Cox	8/1
5	5Rijeka (IRE)	Colby J. Hernandez	116	Brad H. Cox	15/1
6	6Empire of War (KY)	Gabriel Saez	116	Michael J. Maker	20/1
7	7The Last Zip (KY)	Mitchell Murrill	116	Michael Stidham	6/1
8	8Louder Than Bombs (KY)	Jack Gilligan	118	David Fawkes	12/1
9	9Clint Maroon (GB)	Marcelino Pedroza	118	Wayne M. Catalano	15/1
10	10Spectacular Gem (KY)	James Graham	118	James E. Baker	8/1
11	11Sir Winston (KY)	Miguel Mena	116	Mark E. Casse	7/2
12	12Hog Creek Hustle (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	116	Vickie L. Foley	9/2
13	13Tracksmith (KY)	Adam Beschizza	118	Joe Sharp	6/1
14	14Tiz Plus (KY)	Stewart Elliott	116	Steven M. Asmussen	15/1
15	15Uncapped (KY)	Marcelino Pedroza	116	Brendan P. Walsh	20/1
16	16Vivid Verse (KY)	Adam Beschizza	116	Joe Sharp	20/1