The $750,000 Wood Memorial is always a major player on the road to the Derby. This year, they may have shown the winner a few weeks early.

I Want Revenge was the post time favorite. Rightfully so, but the trainer felt it wasn’t necessary to waste all of his energy and empty his tank.  Today can be summed up in many ways. I can only sum up the effort with the words: truly amazing.

He was left at the gate, and this is when a rider usually makes major mistakes, especially a young rider. But today was an acid test. He was spotting the field major ground, and was bottled up at the top of the stretch. The only things that didn’t happen was an earthquake, a volcano and a hurricane.  Mr. Joe Talamo gathered his mount, relaxed, and saved enough to wheedle through a small gap in the stretch. These are the makings of a long-time journeyman rider. Talamo just waited, and showed the world why he and his mount are ready.

If you were not a believer, you should jump on the bandwagon now. The good ones are asked to do things they have never done before. Some hold their ground, and the really great ones overcome the hurdles. That is what we saw today. These are some of the things the first Saturday in May present. This is what separates the pretenders from the contenders.

I am sure you have watched the replay by now. If you haven’t, I would put it high on the list (Watch Wood Memorial Replay). The Wood was not just another prep, but a glimpse into the make up of a contender. To overcome and adapt, are the callings from past winners. Many have had a glitch or two this racing season, but none have had the trip from hell and still walked to the winner’s circle.

I know it is still too early to crown him king, but after watching this race, I have found a grind-it-out bad boy who should give a good account of himself in Louisville.