Fair Grounds: Superfecta Plays for the Woodchopper Stakes

An overflow field of 16 sophomores will travel about 1 1/16 miles on the Fair Grounds lawn in Saturday’s $100,000 Woodchopper S. The Tom Amoss-trained #13 Higgins Boat (6-1) has shown nice improvement since moving to the green four back and I will center some of my plays around the three-year-old. 

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Woodchopper Stakes Superfecta Exotic Bets

• $.40-cent superfecta 13 with 1,3,12 with 1,3,12 with all ($26.40)
• $.20-cent superfecta 13 with 1,3,12 with all with 1,3,12 ($13.20)
• $.20-cent superfecta 1,3,12 with 13 with 1,3,12 with all ($13.20)

Woodchopper Stakes Betting Analysis

This Omaha Beach gelding was a game allowance winner in his turf debut at Ellis Park in the summer and followed that effort up with a runner-up showing in the Hawthorne Derby. The $325,000 yearling purchase just missed at Churchill Downs in a tough race in his next performance, which preceded a dominant allowance tally on this surface last time out with the blinkers being removed. He owns the gate presence to get into the mix early on Saturday despite the wide post which I feel will be a benefit to him. Declan Cannon retains the mount atop the talented gelding. 

#12 Take Me To Church (8-1) will have the blinkers removed and will also get Lasix for the initial time for conditioner Brad Cox. The expensive son of Churchill displayed a level of class in Europe earlier in the season, and he gave a decent account of himself in a pair of tough assignments in the Empire State as of late, too. I like that the chestnut will come in fresh and that he can get involved early in a race lacking pace. Florent Geroux riding is a plus, as well. 

#1 Oscar Season (6-1) hasn’t done all that much wrong from four lifetime tries to date and will be a dangerous commodity late if he gets a sensible voyage from the rail in the crowded field. The chestnut has won or placed in each of his four career appearances in advance of Saturday, led by a third in the Hawthorne Derby, and the Brendan Walsh pupil has the turn of foot that will be difficult to hold off if he gets clear sailing beneath Brian Hernandez, Jr. 

#3 Tough Little Nut (12-1), one of two in the group for trainer Chris Block, bagged an allowance race on the oval in going-away fashion most recently and has to be considered with Ben Curtis picking up the ride. The Kentucky-bred son of Palace Malice has come home first or second in four of his last five on the green and obviously has an affinity for the local lawn, too. 

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