‘Revenge’ is sweet in Wood victory

I Want Revenge broke so poorly at the start of Saturday’s $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct that trainer Jeff Mullins said, “I was already heading back to the barn.”

Luckily he stuck around to see the remarkable performance of a 3-year-old who overcame more traffic trouble in the stretch under jockey Joe Talamo to pull out a 1 1/2 -length victory over West Side Bernie.

“You don’t want to see that kind of trouble, and nine out of 10 times, they don’t overcome it, so for him to do what he did today is just unbelievable,” Mullins said.

I Want Revenge, a son of Stephen Got Even, was beaten twice by Santa Anita Derby winner Pioneerof The Nile while racing on synthetic surfaces in Southern California. Then he was sent to the East Coast to see how he’d respond to racing on dirt.

The decision has been a resounding success. I Want Revenge won the Gotham Stakes last month, and his Wood Memorial victory sets the stage for a trip to Churchill Downs for the May 2 Kentucky Derby.

“You’ve got to be more impressed,” Mullins said. “He overcame every obstacle you can even imagine and still prevailed, so it’s pretty special.”

Talamo, 19, was given praise for being patient and not rushing I Want Revenge after the horse broke into the air and started several lengths behind the other seven horses in the 1 1/8 -mile race. He won in 1:49.49.

“He saved his horse and waited for the right time to let him go,” Mullins said.

“You can’t panic; you just have to go with Plan B,” Talamo said. “At the half-mile pole, he was moving so good it was just a matter of if he could get out. He was just cruising at the quarter pole and was covered up. Then, when I found a seam, I asked him and he just kicked it home.”

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Defeat for Stardom Bound

Stardom Bound, the champion 3-year-old filly, finished third in the Grade I, $400,000 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland in Kentucky. Hooh Why won the race at odds of 24-1.

Stardom Bound had won five straight Grade I stakes in California before being shipped to trainer Rick Dutrow’s barn.

In the $500,000 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne Park, Musket Man prevailed over Giant Oak.

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Rail Trip wins again

Rail Trip improved to 5-0 in his career with a nose victory over Dakota Phone in the $86,877 Santana Mile at Santa Anita. Jose Valdivia Jr. rode the 4-year-old son of Jump Start so confidently that Dakota Phone almost caught him at the end.

“He was trying to make it as easy as possible on him,” trainer Ron Ellis said, “but that’s cutting it close, and even he [Valdivia] said when he came back, ‘Sorry about that.’ ”

Dixie Chatter, ridden by Tyler Baze, won the $150,000 Arcadia Handicap over Mr. Napper Tandy at one mile on turf.

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eric.sondheimer@latimes.com