Macho Again Confirmed For Woodward Try

Fresh off a runner-up finish in the Whitney Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga, West Point Thoroughbreds' Macho Again will make his next start in the $750,000 Woodward (gr. I) on Sept. 5, where he will meet a field that will include superstar filly Rachel Alexandra.

“We've decided to run Macho Again in the Woodward. He's a special horse, and the Woodward has always been on our radar,” said Terry Finley, president and CEO of West Point Thoroughbreds. “His trainer, Dallas Stewart, has called me every day since the colt shipped back to Kentucky to tell me how well our colt is doing. We decided yesterday to go ahead and run him.”

A 4-year-old son of Macho Uno , Macho Again has recorded wins in both the Stephen Foster (gr. I) and New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) earlier this year. He also captured the Jim Dandy (gr. II) at Saratoga last year and has earned over $1.6 million from 19 career starts.

“I've never been one to play games, so we haven’t spent much time mulling it over or examining our options,” Finley said. “We're flying him back to Saratoga on Monday (Aug. 31).

“Facing Rachel Alexandra simply adds to the experience. We'd like to make history or be a part of it. You don't get too many chances like this as a racehorse owner, but we're always going to do the best thing for the horse. The partners are all excited. They know our colt deserves a shot.”

Bred in Florida by Milan Kosanovich, Macho Again is out of the Wild Again mare Go Donna Go.

Rachel Alexandra will attempt to become the first filly to ever win the Woodward. The complete field for the 1 1/8-mile race will be drawn Sept. 2.