Bill Mott
Welcome to the 150th Kentucky Derby, Bill Mott.
Resilience swept into the lead around the final turn and cruised to an easy victory in the $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct on Saturday, giving Hall of Famer Mott a solid contender in the Run for the Roses.
Resilience Romped in the Wood Memorial and will start next in the Kentucky Derby
The 2023 Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s top trainer, Mott’s only Derby victory came in 2019 after runner-up Country House became the official winner after first-place finisher Maximum Security was disqualified for interference.
Resilience, who entered the 1 1/8-mile Wood with a maiden victory in five starts, got a prefect ride from John Velazquez. The Into Mischief colt stalked the pace set by longshots Evening News and Lonesome Boy, then took command rounding the final turn and won by 2 ¼ lengths over 106-1 longshot Society Man.
Resilience
“He broke well and he was in great position, as you’d want him to be,” co-owner Ric Waldman said. “And John just bided his time, stayed covered up, and when he saw an opening, he moved him out and the rest you saw yourself.
“It’s our first Derby. I grew up in Louisville and I cut my teeth cutting school and going to Churchill Downs. It means a lot.”
In mid-stretch, 157-1 longshot Deposition clipped heels with another horse and fell to the ground, unseating jockey Dexter Haddock. Trainer Uriah St. Louis told drf.com there is “noting obviously wrong” but the horse will be further evaluated. Haddock was sitting up after the fall and was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
On this day of huge Derby implications, Resilience ($11 for a $2 win bet) earned 100 qualifying points to soar near the top of the leaderboard at 110. If he’s Derby bound, Mott will need another jockey since Velazquez is the regular rider for expected Derby favorite Fierceness.
Junior Alvarado, who often rides for Mott and was the regular rider for 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish, is a likely candidate.
Deterministic, the 9-10 favorite for trainer Christophe Clement, was never a serious contender, racing well early but had nothing left round the final turn and finished eighth. Winner of the Gotham (50 Derby points), it’s unlikely Clement will move on to the Derby.
El Grande O was a late scratch, which reduced the field to 12 3-year-olds.
Society Man, trained Danny Gargan, earned 50 Derby points for second with Protective third (25 Derby points), Lonesome Boy fourth (15 points), and Uncle Heavy fifth (10 points).
Danny Gargan
“What a race he ran. I was super proud of him, and I thought for a minute he was going to get there,’’ Gargan said of Society Man. “He’s learning and getting better, and obviously we’re going to look at the Derby with him. 50 (points) gets you in usually. We couldn’t be more excited.”
Gargan also trains Derby contender Dornoch, who ran fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes (G2) on Saturday.