BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Florida speed should be on full display in $500,000 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun (Grade 1) Saturday at Saratoga Race Course with Macho Music and Neoequos representing Sunshine State breeders in the seven-furlong contest for 3-year-olds.

Macho Music exits a sizzling performance in the Pat Day Mile (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard, when he went wire-to-wire in the slop to win by three-and-a-quarter lengths for his second consecutive stakes victory. He also romped in the $100,000 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore on the Florida Cup card at Tampa Bay Downs, winning by 11 ¼ lengths going the Woody Stephens distance of seven furlongs on March 30.  

 

Macho Music has earned $501,857 for trainer Rohan Crichton, who owns the colt with Mark Fletcher Taylor and Daniel L. Walters. Crichton purchased Macho Music for $60,000 as a 2-year-old out of Joe Pickerrell and Courtney Roberts’ Pick View consignment at the 2024 OBS March Sale and has since seen him win half of his eight career starts with two seconds. He was also a $50,000 purchase by Anthony Tate at the 2023 Keeneland September Sale out of the Denali Stud consignment.
(Macho Music’s Under Tack Video)

Macho Music is by Maclean’s Music out of Southern Girl, by Tapit and was bred in Florida by Bridlewood Farm.

Javier Castellano, who has ridden him in his last three starts going back to his second-place finish to Woody Stephen-rival Gate to Wire in the $155,000 Swale on Feb. 1 at Gulfstream, gets the return mount. They are 8-1 on the morning line and have post three in the field of 11.

Neoequos shortens up to seven furlongs after his last three starts around two turns against some of the nation’s top sophomores.

He led through the first six furlongs of Grade 2 Coolmore Fountain of Youth going a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Gulfstream on March 1 before finishing third. He then pressed the pace in both the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby on March 29 and Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill on May 3. Neoequos was third in the Florida Derby won by Tappan Street and faded to 13th in Sovereignty’s Kentucky Derby.

 

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. Neoequos is owned by C2 Racing Stable, Ian Parsard, Shining Stables LLC, Stephania Farms LLC, Ken T. Reimer, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch.

He is by Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic out of Bold Birdie, by Birdstone and has won two of eight career starts with two seconds and two thirds with earnings of $291,050.

Jose Ortiz has accepted the mount on the 10-1 morning line choice and they will break from nine.

Also set for the Woody Stephens are Big Truzz with jockey Joel Rosario, Madaket Road will be ridden by John Velazquez, Patch Adams has Luis Saez taking the assignment, Mike Smith will be aboard Citizen Bull, T Kraft will have Jose Lezcano in the irons, Manny Franco guides Colloquial, Gunmetal and jockey Irad Otiz Jr., Chancer McPatrick will have Flavien Prat in the saddle and Dylan Davis rides Gate to Wire.

Return to the June 6 issue of Wire to Wire