The Wood Memorial (G2) saw its 100th running Saturday won by the Rodriguez for trainer Bob Baffert, providing his 10 owners with their third likely contender for the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 3 after securing the maximum allotment of the 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points available to the top five finishers. The Authentic colt has accrued the most Kentucky Derby points of the six 3-year-olds that have earned points for his large ownership group that includes Tom Ryan and SF Racing. Tom Ryan, who co-owns the colt, said Rodriguez emerged well from his win 1 1/8 mile race for 3-year-olds. “It’s great to win the Wood in its 100th running,” Ryan said. “Roberto [Luna, groom] sent us some great video of him jogging up this morning and he’s moving like a gazelle – good color, licked his feed tub last night,” said Ryan, who also serves as the managing partner for SF Racing. “He’ll ship Tuesday back to California and we’ll work backwards from the Derby.”
Ryan said the assessment provided by the colt’s veteran rider, who noted Rodriguez was difficult to pull up in the gallop-out, is invaluable. “The feedback from Mike Smith was, ‘Tom, he went through the wire with his ears pricked and he wanted more,’ ” Ryan said. “He’s a May baby that is really starting to come into himself at the right time, not widely different from his father. Authentic took a while to mature, not necessarily physically, but the mental aspect needed to come together. Mike got along well with Rodriguez yesterday, and that’s the key to it – understanding the horse’s mentality. He ran the way he likes to yesterday, and he sure as hell showed up.”
The 101 Beyer was the second triple-digit figure Rodriguez has earned and backed up the 100 he received for a dominant seven-length graduation in January over Baeza, who was a hard-fought second in Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby (G1). Ryan said Rodriguez was game to meet the challenges presented by his first foray outside of California. Rodriguez now boasts the most points of the six sophomores that have earned Kentucky Derby points for the ownership group and joins Champion 2-Year-Old Male Citizen Bull, Grade 3-winner Getaway Car, and multiple graded stakes-placed Madaket Road [owned by all but Stonestreet Stables] as Baffert-trained contenders that currently hold enough points to make it into the Derby starting gate with two points races left to be run.