Mineshaft lands Woodward win

American runner Mineshaft saw off the challenge of Aidan O’Brien’s Hold That Tiger to take the £500,000 (€712,000) Grade One Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday.

The four-year-old, who was trained by John Gosden before switching to Neil Howard’s yard, was up with the pace for much of the nine furlong race, sitting in fourth while Thompson Rouge and Northern Rock set the tempo.

But jockey Robby Albarado kicked on at the quarter pole drawing away quickly to run out the four-and-a-quarter length winner over Hold That Tiger with Puzzlement finishing a further four and three-quarters lengths back in third.

“I let him work on finishing,” Albarado told www.bloodhorse.com.

“The next race is going to be tougher. He is going to have to step it up. I let him work a little.

“It’s unbelievable riding him. I’ve never felt anything like that. There were some nice horses in front of him, but when I pressed a little bit, they went on. But Mineshaft was too much for them. He’s amazing.”

Edgar Prado, who rode Hold That Tiger, was impressed with the colt’s performance on what was his first start on dirt since the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last October.

“He ran super, said Prado. “He was second-best. He wins the Woodward any other year.

Unfortunately, Mineshaft was in here. I couldn’t believe how easy he ran by me. It was amazing to watch.”

O’Brien’s other runner at the track, Carpanetto, failed to make his mark finishing unplaced in the £500,000 (€712,000) Grade One Man o’War Stakes.

The Richard Migliore-ridden Lunar Sovereign finished with a powerful kick to stroll to a two-and-three-quarter length win in the one mile, three furlong race.

Carpanetto finished eighth under Prado.