OZONE PARK, N.Y. – John Velazquez knew Resilience had talent after he won his maiden on him at Gulfstream Park on New Year’s Day. He didn’t lose faith in the horse after he finished fourth in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds seven weeks later. The addition of blinkers helped Resilience return to his winning ways Saturday afternoon, taking command at the quarter pole and drawing clear to a 2 1/4-length victory in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Society Man, the second-longest shot on the board at 106-1 finished second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of the 38-1 maiden Protective. Lonesome Boy, an 80-1 shot, finished fourth and was followed by Uncle Heavy, Elysian Meadows, Tuscan Sky, Deterministic – the 4-5 favorite – Evening News, Merit, and Gettysburg Address. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Deposition, the longest shot on the board at 157-1, fell at the three-sixteenths pole, but appeared to escape serious injury. He got up, was vanned off, and was to spend the night at the Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists, a clinic across the street from Belmont Park, for further evaluation. His jockey, Dexter Haddock, was taken to Jamaica Hospital for further evaluation. El Grande O was scratched just prior to the start of the race after having been deemed to be lame in his right leg, according to trainer Linda Rice. Resilience, a son of Into Mischief owned by Emily Bushnell and Ric Waldman and trained by Bill Mott, earned 100 qualifying points toward the May 4 Kentucky Derby. Velazquez, the Hall of Fame rider and three-time Kentucky Derby winner, already has a mount in this year’s 150th Derby in probable favorite Fierceness.  But he knows Resilience belongs in the race as well. “He’s a very good horse,” Velazquez said. Velazquez said that Resilience got a little intimidated in the Risen Star when a horse came in front of him. That’s when he suggested to Mott to put blinkers on him. Mott said he had tried blinkers on the horse before before and didn’t see much difference. But when Mott put them on for a workout a few weeks ago he apparently did see a difference. “He told my agent [Ron Anderson] that did the trick,” Velazquez said. “He worked really good with the blinkers. Obviously, he has the talent and showed it today.” Breaking from the rail, Resilience put himself right into the race, a bit more aggressive than Velazquez expected as he was within a length of Evening News while inside of Lonesome Boy. Velazquez was able to get Resilience behind the front two horses down the backside. Sensing thing those two horses would not “last long” on the lead, Velazquez decided to put Resilience three wide. After six furlongs were run in 1:12.31, Resilience struck the front at the quarter pole, opened up a sizeable advantage in midstretch and came home a fairly easy winner. Resilience (90 Beyer Speed Figure) covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.28 and returned $11 as the third choice. “Once he got in the clear, perfect, perfect; at the five-sixteenths pole, he passed them that quick, that was a little too quick,” said Velazquez, who won his fifth Wood Memorial. “Obviously, [the blinkers] did the trick, that’s what I wanted, to make sure that he passed the horses with confidence instead of passing them a little slow and sometimes being a little timid.” Resilience is bred by Pam and Marty Wygod, who have owned horses with Mott for a long time. Emily Bushnell, part-owner of the colt, is the Wygod’s daughter. “I feel so lucky to part of this incredible horse,” Bushnell said. “He has brought my family’s breeding program full circle. My father’s dedication and love for the Thoroughbred industry has spanned multiple years and Resilience is the product of a broodmare line he has nurtured and it is so exciting to see him succeed at this level.” While trainer Danny Gargan appears to have one Derby starter in Dornoch – who finished fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes – he may have a second in Society Man, who stepped up from a maiden win to run second in the Wood and earn 50 qualifying points toward the Derby. “What a race he ran,” Gargan told NYRA publicity. “I was super proud of him and I thought for a minute he was going to get there. He’s learning and getting better and obviously we’re going to look at the Derby with him.” The biggest disappointment of the Wood was Deterministic, who was sent off the 4-5 favorite off his dominant victory in the Gotham. Under Joel Rosario, Deterministic was within four lengths of the lead after the opening half-mile but retreated and was beaten 17 3/4 lengths, likely ending his hopes for the Derby. “I thought the horse was traveling great, halfway down the backstretch he could not follow the pace,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “After five-eighths of a mile, he was beaten. There was obviously something going on and I don’t know what it is and I will work on it. “Let’s forget about Derby status and let’s worry about the horse first,” Clement added. Protective earned 25 points toward the Derby, but that is unlikely to get the maiden into the Kentucky Derby field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.