Bill Mott-trained Yoshida, switched from turf to dirt, winning the Gr. 1 Woodward Stakes with great panache, perhaps cementing himself as a Breeders' Cup Classic contender in the process. The 4-year-old son of Heart's Cry, bred in Japan, stormed down the center of the track to complete the event in a relatively short in 1:48.94.
Rally Cry, who helped set the early fractions with Leofric, faded to fourth after a strong run from the outside post in a record Woodward field of 14.
Gunnevera returned to the track after a long injury break. Considering the complete situation he acquitted himself quite well to land behind Yoshida in second place.
Hall of Fame conditioner trains Yoshida for WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and SF Racing and Head of Plains Parnters.
While the Woodward is not a "Win and You're In" qualifier, it is known for producing Classic contenders, including the eventual winner Gun Runner in 2017.
Jockey Joel Rosario guided his mount outside as contenders spread across the track at the top of the lane and went on to win by two lengths.
Click here to watch winner race Woodward Stakes 2018
1st Yoshida (W. Mott, J. Rosario), 2nd Gunnevera (A. Sano, E. Zayas), 3rd Leofric (B. Cox, K. Carmouche), 4th Rally Cry (T. Pletcher, M. Smith), 5th Patch (T. Pletcher, L. Saez), 6th Term of Art (B. Cox, J. Alvarado), 7th Hence (S. Asmussen, R. Santana, Jr.), 8th Tapwrit (T. Pletcher, J. Velazquez), 9th Sunny Ridge (J. Servis, I. Ortiz, Jr.), 10th Zanotti (J. Guerrero, D. Davis ), 11th Kurilov (C. Brown, J. Ortiz), 12th Discreet Lover (U. St. Lewis, M. Franco), 13th Seeking the Soul (D. Stewart, J. Castellano), 14th Imperative (R. Hess, D. Cohen)
Distance : 1 1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs), Surface: Dirt, Track: left-handed, Qualification: Three-year-olds and up, Weight: Allowance, Purse: $750,000[1]
Credit: Ritesh Jamkhedkar ritesh.jamkhedkar@secretariatsworld.com