Arguably the most competitive race on the Belmont Stakes card Saturday, the $500,000 Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) for 3-year-olds going 7 furlongs features a field of 10, six of whom stepped briefly on the road to the Kentucky Derby (G1), two who actually ran (albeit poorly) in the Derby, a couple of lightly raced and promising colts, and a 30-1 shot who took six tries to break his maiden.
Among the deserters from the Triple Crown trail are Macho Music (8-1) and Madaket Road (10-1), who recouped to finish 1-2 in the Pat Day Mile (G2); Patch Adams (5-1), who turned heads with a 10 1/2-length maiden victory at the Woody Stephens distance, came in fourth in the Southwest Stakes (G3) and Tampa Bay Derby (G3), wisely retreated and came back to win an optional claimer on Derby Day (over a sloppy track), all as the betting favorite, and Chancer McPatrick, the 4-1 early favorite in the Stephens who won the 7-furlong Hopeful Stakes (G1) at the Spa last year after breaking his maiden at 6 1/2 furlongs there.
Colloquial, who appeared to be the most talented of the newcomers, was scratched due to lameness, said trainer George Weaver.
On to the pair of Derby veterans; Neoequos (10-1), who at 43-1 vainly tried to chase the pacesetter and finished 27 lengths behind Sovereignty, and the pacesetter himself, last year's 2-year-old champ and dual Grade 1 winner, Citizen Bull (5-1), who veered out leaving the gate, set fractions of 22.81, 46.23 and 1:10.78 and subsequently retreated to finish 33 lengths behind the winner.
Said Citizen Bull's Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert: “Just draw a line through the Derby. It was disastrous and too far."
Baffert, a three-time winner of the Woody Stephens with Bayern [2014], American Anthem [2017] and Arabian Lion [2023], will be taking the blinkers off the Into Mischief colt, who owns a field-high 107 Equibase speed figure, achieved in his lone 2025 victory, the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at a mile.
Citizen Bull also gets a rider change, with Mike Smith replacing Martin Garcia.
Conversely, Baffert will be adding blinkers on Madaket Road, who could not gain ground on Macho Music in the Pat Day Mile, finishing 3 1/4 lengths back.
“Madaket Road ran well in the Pat Day Mile, but he needs blinkers,” Baffert said. “I think they – and shortening up – will help him."
Like Citizen Bull, Chancer McPatrick will race without blinkers. The bay son of McKinzie won his first three starts, adding the Champagne Stakes (G1) to his resume before finishing a well-backed sixth behind Citizen Bull in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). This year, he was second in the Tampa Bay Derby at the Juvenile distance before placing sixth in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles in his most recent start.
“He’s undefeated around one turn and is winless around two. I’m just going back to the basics here,” said trainer Chad Brown.
The outsider in the field on paper is T. Kraft, who was 0-for-5 as a juvenile, but is now 3-0 in 2025 for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. This will be his first start beyond 6 1/2 furlongs.
Post time is 5:28 p.m. (race 11)
