SARATOGA SPRINGS — In two of the past three runnings of the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes, a victory over males was the springboard to Horse of the Year honors for the fillies Rachel Alexandra (2009) and Havre de Grace (2011). There are no fillies in this year’s field of seven going 1¹/₈ miles, but there is a legitimate Horse of the Year contender in 8-5 morning-line favorite Mucho Macho Man, who will break from post 3 under Hall of Famer Mike Smith.
Trained by heart-transplant recipient Kathy Ritvo, Mucho Macho Man has three stakes victories this year — the Sunshine Millions Classic, Gulfstream Park Handicap and Suburban — from four starts. The Woodward would give the 4-year-old son of Macho Uno his first Grade 1 win.
Among those facing Mucho Macho Man are a pair of fellow 4-year-olds that have been big disappointments so far this year — To Honor and Serve (post 6, John Velazquez) and Stay Thirsty (post 5, Javier Castellano).
Trained by Bill Mott, To Honor and Serve launched a string of strong performances to close out last year with an 8 ¼-length allowance romp over this track at this distance, and he followed that with wins in the Pennsylvania Derby and Cigar Mile. Big things were expected from him this season, which he kicked off with a 5 ¼-length romp in the Westchester. But in two subsequent starts, as the heavy favorite both times, the son of Bernardini was third in the Met Mile and fourth in the Suburban.
Stay Thirsty came to life last summer at the Old Spa when, after finishing a close second in the Belmont Stakes, he won the Jim Dandy and Travers for owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher. After finishing next-to-last in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Stay Thirsty did not race again until May 17, when he was second in the Vanlandingham, and he followed that with a dull fifth in the Suburban.
ed.fountaine@nypost.com