Crude Velocity Carries Momentum Into Woody Stephens

Crude Velocity  and Englishman , budding stars among the 3-year-old sprinter ranks, meet for a second time in a strong edition of the June 6 Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

Crude Velocity annihilated 10 rivals in the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day to register his first stakes victory for trainer Bob Baffert and owner CSLR Racing Partners and to remain undefeated in three starts. 

The son of Beau Liam   was in close attendance to the pace set by Englishman through lively fractions of :22.06, :44.20, and 1:08.13. Englishman hung in there until the final sixteenth before yielding to Crude Velocity's powerful kick that put him in control at the finish by 3 3/4 lengths over the pacesetter while completing the mile in 1:33.87.

Video: Pat Day Mile S. presented by SAP (G2)

The Cherie DeVaux-trained Englishman is among Crude Velocity's eight challengers in the 7-furlong Woody Stephens for 3-year-olds. The son of Maxfield   won his first two starts in super impressive fashion before suffering his first career defeat in the Pat Day Mile.

The cutback in distance will suit C R K Stable's Englishman, according to DeVaux, who three races following the $500,000 Woody Stephens will saddle Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Golden Tempo  in the $2 million Belmont Stakes (G1). 

"Crude Velocity is just a really good horse. I also think it was a bit too far for (Englishman). I think he definitely is a 6-, 7-furlong horse. In the right circumstance, 1 mile probably will be OK, but to be pressed the whole way ... I'm looking forward to getting him back to the 7-furlong distance.

"He's ultra talented, and he puts it out there every time," she added. "I think for us, it's just tweaking things, like keeping him at the right distance, keeping him happy, and managing him appropriately, knowing that every race he runs, he's going to run hard."

Jose Ortiz rides Englishman who drew post 7. Crude Velocity and Florent Geroux are to their inside, in post 6.

With three past victories in the Woody Stephens, Crude Velocity could give Hall of Famer Baffert a fourth to tie him with the late D. Wayne Lukas. 

"We felt pretty good about him going into the Pat Day. His two prior races were pretty spectacular," Baffert said. "Englishman, I have a lot of respect for him. To run him down, that was pretty impressive. Those are two good horses. It should be a great race." 

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, also a three-time winner of the Woody Stephens, entered two horses. His Obliteration  warrants respect following a dominant victory at Laurel Park in the Chick Lang Stakes in May. Last year, the colt showed an aptitude for Saratoga where he won the Sanford Stakes (G3) by 10 1/2 lengths and was second in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2). The other Asmussen runner, Stradale , is looking for his first stakes victory.

Saffie Joseph Jr., who won the 2021 edition of the Woody Stephens with Drain the Clock  , entered grade 2-placed Solitude Dude , a winner of three ungraded stakes. 

The field includes two runners who competed in the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Six Speed , 13th in the Kentucky Derby, is now trained by George Weaver, and the Brittany Russell-trained Taj Mahal  finished 10th as the lukewarm favorite of the Preakness Stakes (G1). 

Gilded Bandit , from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, impressed by winning an allowance optional claimer Derby Day at Churchill Downs, which followed a maiden special weight victory at Keeneland in his second career start.

Recent maiden winner and grade 1-placed Civil Liberty  completes the field.