2021 Woodward Stakes Picks

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This is the right place for 2021 Woodward Stakes expert picks! One of the top handicap races of the year, it will be run at Belmont Park on Saturday, October 2. The $500,000 horse race drew a select field of top East Coast handicap horses and is run over a mile and an eighth on the main track.

The race has produced a host of Breeders’ Cup Classic winners including Gun Runner (2017), Saint Liam (2005), Ghostzapper (2004), Cigar (1995), and Alysheba (1988). Curlin and Skip Away also won both the Woodward and the Breeders’ Cup Classic, though they did so in different years.

Read on to find out the best horses to bet in the race, as well as the best places to bet them!

Horses
Maxfield	TBA	TBA	TBA
Code of Honor	TBA	TBA	TBA
Art Collector	TBA	TBA	TBA
Forza Di Oro	TBA	TBA	TBA
Dr Post	TBA	TBA	TBA
Mo Gotcha	TBA	TBA	TBA

Betting the 2021 Woodward Stakes Online

Though it is important to pick the right horse in the Woodward Stakes, it is just as important to choose the right online sportsbook at which to bet the race. Play the race with confidence by making an account on a site that will give you trusted deposit and cash-out options, the best Vegas odds, and the best wagering experience. These ensure a fun, profitable time betting the Woodward Stakes.

The best online racebooks will also offer lucrative rebates and bonuses for betting the Woodward Stakes online. Since different sites offer different bonus structures, it is worth learning about your options. Read our expert analysis of the bonuses that different racebooks offer their players, and you can confidently choose which one is right for you.

Rank	Racebook	Bonus	Review	Link to site
#1		$250 Free Bet on Props + Head-to-Heads		VISIT RACEBOOK!
#2		100% Sign Up Bonus - Up to $500		VISIT RACEBOOK!
#3		50% up to $1,000 + $25 Risk Free Bet + 7% Rebates		VISIT RACEBOOK!
#4		100% sign-up bonus up to $300 + 8% rebate		VISIT RACEBOOK!
#5		Up to 13% Weekly Loyalty Rewards		VISIT RACEBOOK!
#6		50% sign-up bonus up to $250		VISIT RACEBOOK!
#7		$100 Free Bet on Props + Head-to-Heads!		VISIT RACEBOOK!

Woodward Stakes 2021 Field

This is the official field for the 2021 Woodward Stakes including post positions, trainers, and jockeys:

1. Dr Post (Todd Pletcher/Irad Ortiz)
2. Maxfield (Brendan Walsh/Jose Ortiz)
3. Art Collector (Bill Mott/Luis Saez)
4. Mo Gotcha (Naipaul Chatterpaul/Jalon Samuel)
5. Code of Honor (Shug McGaughey/Paco Lopez)
6. Forza Di Oro (Bill Mott/Junior Alvarado)

As the race draws closer, online sportsbooks will begin to publish their odds for the Woodward. Make sure to watch their offerings, and place your bet when you see an overlay on the horse you think will win the race!

Woodward Stakes Handicapping

For a field of just six, there is a significant amount of early speed drawn into the race. Longshot #4 Mo Gotcha, who has spent most of the year in the claiming ranks but comes off of a third-place finish in a weaker stakes race than this, typically finds the front end. He does not need to make the top, as he showed two starts ago, but he wired a seven-furlong race two back and should be vying for the lead in this.

#6 Forza Di Oro should also show a lot of speed, and his outside draw should give him an advantage over Mo Gotcha. He has yet to prove himself at the Grade 1 level; he set the pace before flattening out to third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) last out. But, the experience and the move to Belmont can move him forward, and he should handle the one-turn nine-furlong trip well.

#3 Art Collector also has a lot of early speed, though he does not need to make the top and he may not be quite as zippy as Forza Di Oro or Mo Gotcha early. He has won two straight races at a mile and an eighth, and an early-career win going seven furlongs at Churchill suggests the one-turn configuration may suit. He also keeps one of the hottest riders in the country in Luis Saez, who has ridden him to his last two wins as well.

#2 Maxfield has shown good pace versatility throughout his career, winning races from close to the pace, midpack, or well off of it. New blinkers may keep him closer to the pace, and help him work the kind of stalking trip that often succeeds at Belmont. A mile and an eighth maybe toward the upper limit of the distance he wants, but he looked good enough winning the Stephen Foster (G2) over the trip to make it worth trying again. 

Inside-drawn #1 Dr Post has tended to rally from midpack or further back, at least when he runs against better horses such as these. His form at Belmont is hit-or-miss, with a win, a second, and two off-the-board finishes in four start so far over the course. He has hit the board in three of four races at a mile and an eighth but must prove his mettle at this level.

Despite an off-pace style often being a liability at Belmont, #2 Code of Honor has a strong record over the course, three wins and three other money finishes in six starts, proving he can make up ground at Big Sandy. He also sat closer to the pace than usual last out in the Iselin (G3) at Monmouth, suggesting that a switch to aggressive rider Paco Lopez was a good sign.

With that new pace dimension and his proven form over the Belmont course, Code of Honor looks well spotted for his return to Grade 1 company.

2021 Woodward Stakes Free Picks

• $20 to win - #5 Code of Honor
• $1 exacta box -  #5 Code of Honor and #3 Art Collector
• $0.50 trifecta key - #5 Code of Honor with #3 Art Collector, #6 Forza Di Oro, and #2 Maxfield

Woodward Stakes Post Time

Post time for the 2021 Woodward Stakes is scheduled for 5:45 pm Eastern, 2:45 pm Pacific, on Saturday, October 2. The race is carded as the 10th on Belmont Park’s 11-race card, which features four stakes races.