There won’t be a Triple Crown winner, but here are the nine horses that will be looking to earn the Woodlawn Vase in 2022.
We will not see a Triple Crown winner this year — the team for Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike has opted to skip Saturday’s race at Pimlico. However for bettors who are heading to Laurel Racetrack to place a bet (or for those who prefer the TVG app), a Rich Strike-less field could be advantageous — it’s just one less horse to worry about. Last year it was Rombauer who finished first, at 11-1 odds, besting the late Derby winner Medina Spirit, who finished third. Here are the nine horses looking to earn the Woodlawn Vase in 2022:
And now for the predictions for how the horses will finish:
WIN: #1 SIMPLIFICATION
After a fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby with Jose Ortiz aboard, Simplification will now get a new jockey; Ortiz had previously committed to ride Early Voting. Enter John Velazquez, who has won every race there is except the Preakness. The 2022 season for Simplification has been successful, but rocky at times. He came into the Florida Derby with 2-1 odds and got off to a good start. After taking the lead at the half-mile, he quickly lost it at the ¾ when White Abarrio took over. In the Mucho Macho Man Stakes, Simplification took a clear lead at Gulfstream Park and was never threatened, despite a brief challenge from Skippy at the beginning. At the Fountain of Youth Stakes, the 3-year-old Florida-bred colt came in as a 3-1 favorite and, despite running wide on the second turn, he took advantage of a few jockeys who got unseated from their mounts, hindering the final pace.
