The final Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino ever to be held at Aqueduct is set for Saturday, and a very competitive field is lined up to vie for 200 qualifying points to the May 2 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

The $750,000, Grade 2 Wood Memorial has a rich history that will be continued after it relocates to Belmont Park for 2027 and beyond. In the meantime, this year’s finale at the Big A is an excellent betting race and a last chance for most of the 13 horses entered to secure enough Derby points to make the starting gate in Louisville next month. The 200 available in the Wood will be distributed on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale to the top five finishers.

Since its first running in 1925, 20 horses who have started in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial went on to win the Kentucky Derby, including eventual Triple Crown winners Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Secretariat (1973), and Seattle Slew (1977). Gallant Fox, Count Fleet, Assault, and Seattle Slew won both races. The last Kentucky Derby winner to prep in the Wood Memorial was Funny Cide in 2003, who was second in the Wood and then an upset winner in the Kentucky Derby.

The 101^st Wood Memorial will be broadcast live on FS2 as part of NYRA’s “America’s Day at the Races” show, with a scheduled post time of 6:34 p.m. ET. Read on for information about each of the contenders plus some gambling insights.

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1. Napoleon Solo

Jockey: Paco Lopez

Trainer: Chad Summers

Owner: Gold Square

Career record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $330,520

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 99

Kentucky Derby points: 15

Pedigree: Liam’s Map – Atomic Blonde, by Scat Daddy

Color: Gray or roan

Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace

Analysis: This New York-based contender seeks to rebound after a dull 3-year-old debut Feb. 28 in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Napoleon Solo was sent off as the 3.40-1 third betting choice among a quality nine-horse field in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth. He overcame an awkward start to race close to the early pace, but he tired on the far turn and finished fifth, 11 ¾ lengths behind winner Commandment. That colt came back to impressively win the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa last week, and Fountain of Youth runner-up Chief Wallabee was a good third in the Florida Derby. Both Napoleon Solo and Fountain of Youth fourth-place finisher Bravaro are entered in the Wood and can be factors if they improve off of their efforts in Florida. This colt has already flashed stakes-winning talent on Aqueduct’s track, rolling to a 6 ½-length score last fall in the one-turn mile Champagne Stakes. Napoleon Solo will need to break cleanly from his inside post position in order to secure a forwardly placed spot, and new jockey Paco Lopez figures to be aggressive with his mount early with another speed horse in Talk to Me Jimmy drawn right next to him.

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2. Talk to Me Jimmy

Jockey: Ruben Silvera

Trainer: Rudy Rodriguez

Owners: SEI Thoroughbreds, Rudy Rodriguez, and Michael Imperio

Career record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

Career earnings: $163,600

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 98

Kentucky Derby points: 20

Pedigree: Modernist – Prairie Trip, by Trippi

Color: Bay

Running style: Pacesetter

Analysis: Can Talk to Me Jimmy back up his blowout 11-length win in the Withers Stakes? That’s the wild-card question coming into Saturday’s Wood Memorial as the New York-bred seeks to finish second or better and clinch his spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate. He was a 12.27-1 longshot in the Feb. 6 Withers, held at 1 1/8 miles on this track, and was aggressively ridden early by Ruben Silvera to establish a clear lead that he extended through the far turn and all the way to the finish. His Withers win followed a 5 ½-length score in November racing one mile at Aqueduct against state-breds, and he only faced six opponents in the Withers, including Ottinho who he meets again in the Wood. This will be a tough test for Talk to Me Jimmy as he attempts to extend his winning streak to three; on the other hand, aside from Napoleon Solo drawn to his inside and possibly longshot Red Zone Runner, there are not a lot of front-running types entered. Look for Silvera to once again be bold with this colt and send him to the lead early in an attempt to win gate-to-wire once again.

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3. Right to Party

Jockey: Christopher Elliott

Trainer: Ken McPeek

Owner: Chester Broman Sr.

Career record: 3 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 2 thirds

Career earnings: $90,200

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 79

Kentucky Derby points: 15

Pedigree: Constitution – Havin’ a Party, by Emcee

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Closer

Analysis: This longshot enters the Wood off of a nonthreatening third-place finish in the Feb. 28 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct, where he recovered from a poor start to make up some ground late in the one-turn, one-mile race but still finished 7 ½ lengths behind Iron Honor, a horse he’ll meet for the third time Saturday. Right to Party finished third by nine lengths to that rival back on Dec. 13 in his debut sprinting six furlongs at Aqueduct. He then won a one-mile race Jan. 6 at the Big A before his stakes try in the Gotham. Right to Party will need to boost his Equibase Speed Figures from the high 70s earned in both his win and the Gotham to the high 90s in order to have a chance at posting the upset, but on the other hand he has a promising pedigree for stretching out to 1 1/8 miles as a son of stamina sire Constitution from a female family that includes Canadian Horse of the Year Wonder Gadot. Securing third or fourth seems to be Right to Party’s best-case scenario against this field, and that won’t be enough to send him to Louisville.

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4. Steel

Jockey: Sahin Civaci

Trainer: Bill Mott

Owners: Barrett Bernard and Terry Stephens

Career record: 1 start – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $40,800

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 88

Kentucky Derby points: 0

Pedigree: Tapit – Snuggs and Kisses, by Soto

Color: Gray or roan

Running style: Closer

Analysis: Steel is a wild-card contender in the Wood Memorial coming in off of a solitary race for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. He won his debut Feb. 28 at Gulfstream Park in a one-mile, one-turn event, overcoming a slow start that placed him last of nine runners to rally through the stretch and prevail by a nose at odds of 18.30-1. He’ll now ship from Florida to tackle stakes company for Mott, a trainer known for his patience, which leads one to believe that Steel’s owners have a strong desire to at least try to qualify for the Kentucky Derby while there’s still a chance. On the positive side, he earned a good 88 Equibase Speed Figure for his debut and has a pedigree that is suited for stretching out to a mile and an eighth. If he takes another step in development, a top-three finish is possible, but it will be difficult for this closer to achieve that in a large field that lacks a lot of speed horses.

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5. Ocelli

Jockey: Joseph Ramos

Trainer: Whit Beckman

Owners: Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate, and Front Page Equestrian

Career record: 5 starts – 0 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds

Career earnings: $34,800

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 85

Kentucky Derby points: 0

Pedigree: Connect – Zaila, by Scat Daddy

Color: Bay

Running style: Closer

Analysis: This colt will attempt to earn his first career victory at the graded stakes level Saturday – a tough task to say the least. Ocelli enters off of a tiring sixth-place finish in the Virginia Derby Presented by New Kent County March 14 at Colonial Downs, which was held at 1 1/8 miles around one turn. Prior to that, he also finished a flat sixth in a different Kentucky Derby points race, the 1 1/16-mile Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 7, won by leading Derby prospect Renegade. His Equibase Speed Figures have been in the 82-85 range for all five of his career starts, and his two best prior efforts – a pair of top-three finishes in two-turn maiden races – came at Fair Grounds. It’s hard to see Ocelli making much of an impression in the Wood Memorial; running late and picking off a few horses to nab fourth is possible. He will have blinkers removed Saturday which would ideally help him stay engaged with his opponents after he checked out of both his earlier Derby preps in the late stages.

New to racing? Let us explain …

Blinkers are cups that are placed on the outside of each eye on a horse prior to a race. They can be cut to different lengths and are used to restrict the horse’s field of vision, which ideally will enable him/her to perform better through improved focus on what is in front of them rather than what is behind. When a trainer removes blinkers it could be to help the horse relax in the early stages and gain a better sense of his/her surroundings in a race.

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6. Minorinconvenience

Jockey: Jaime Rodriguez

Trainer: Amelia Green

Owners: Amelia Green, Amanda Gillman, and Upland Flats Racing

Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $160,350

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 86

Kentucky Derby points: 0

Pedigree: Mendelssohn – Skyler’s Lil Cutie, by Mission Impazible

Color: Gray or roan

Running style: Press the pace/stalker

Analysis: This New York-bred and -based colt won a pair of sprint races last summer at Saratoga, including a state-bred stakes, by a combined 14 ½ lengths, and returned to run a solid second in his 3-year-old debut March 7 on this track in the one-mile Gander Stakes. Improvement can be expected in his second 2026 start, but he’ll still be a deserved longshot in the Wood Memorial going against a field that’s far tougher than the ones he previously faced. Look for first-time jockey Jaime Rodriguez, who has paired up successfully with trainer Amelia Green to win at a 27% clip over the past 365 days, to be aggressive with this son of turf standout Mendelssohn and have him secure a forward position on the first turn and through the backstretch not far off the leaders. He’ll need to run the race of his life to finish in the top two.

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7. Albus

Jockey: Jaime Torres

Trainer: Riley Mott

Owner: Pin Oak Stud

Career record: 3 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 1 third

Career earnings: $36,288

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 87

Kentucky Derby points: 0

Pedigree: Yaupon – Adream, by Bernardini

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Stalker

Analysis: Albus was scratched from the Curlin Florida Derby to run in this race instead, and he’ll get some class relief Saturday compared with the top-rated foursome of Kentucky Derby contenders (Commandment, The Puma, Chief Wallabee, Nearly) that filled out the superfecta last weekend at Gulfstream. After finishing a distant fourth and third in his two 2025 starts last fall in Kentucky, Albus returned to improve by leaps and bounds in his first start at 3, romping by 6 ¾ lengths in a one-mile and 40-yard maiden race Feb. 27 at Tampa Bay Downs. He’ll stretch out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time in the Wood, and despite being by a sire who was a sprinter in Yaupon, Albus’ pedigree on his dam’s (mother’s) side is encouraging for added distance as he’s a close relative to champion filly Malathaat and several other stakes winners that preferred routes. If he can boost the 87 Equibase Speed Figure he earned by about 10 points in his second start of the year, Albus could fill out the exacta at least against this tough field and maybe do more.

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8. Courting

Jockey: Kendrick Carmouche

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owners: Whisper Hill Farm, Stonestreet Stables, and Windancer Farm

Career record: 4 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $71,850

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 85

Kentucky Derby points: 2

Pedigree: Curlin – Cavorting, by Bernardini

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Stalker/closer

Analysis: Courting has one of the best pedigrees among horses that have earned Kentucky Derby points this season but has not shown much in his two prior prep races, finishing fourth by seven lengths in last December’s Remsen Stakes held at the same track and distance as the Wood Memorial and then sixth by 11 lengths in his 3-year-old debut Feb. 14 in the 1 1/8-mile Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. He sat off of the pace in both starts and never rallied to threaten the winner of both races, Paladin, who was leading several Kentucky Derby rankings until last week when he was sidelined due to injury. In Courting’s only win back in November, he set a pressured pace and drew clear to win a one-mile maiden race at Aqueduct by 2 ½ lengths. Now, he’ll get Kendrick Carmouche to ride for the first time, and the New York-based jockey is one of the best in the business coaxing horses on the lead. Look for him to be aggressive on Courting early on, and this colt will have his blinkers removed in the Wood after wearing them for the first time in the Risen Star, without success.

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9. Bravaro

Jockey: Edwin Gonzalez

Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.

Owners: Albert Ciuffetelli, Stephanie Brennan, Shining Stables, BAG Racing Stables, and Paul Braverman

Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $222,700

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 89

Kentucky Derby points: 20

Pedigree: Upstart – Opera Star, by Tamarkuz

Color: Bay

Running style: Closer

Analysis: After winning both of his starts as a juvenile in 2025, Bravaro was well-backed by bettors in his stakes debut Jan. 31 and ran second at odds of 5.90-1 to Nearly in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He was no threat to that impressive winner, finishing 5 ¾ lengths behind, but was 2 ¾ lengths clear of the third-place horse, and that gave his supporters encouragement that his second 3-year-old start would be better. In the Feb. 28 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes held at the same distance and track as the Holy Bull, Bravaro was bumped at the start and steadied early, and never really threatened in a fourth-place finish behind Commandment, Chief Wallabee, and Solitude Dude. The top two from the Fountain of Youth returned to run first and third, respectively, last week in the Florida Derby, so Bravaro’s rough-trip fourth looks better after that result. Now, the New York-bred adds blinkers and returns to the track where he was 2-for-2 in 2025, albeit running against fellow state-breds, and he profiles as an intriguing middle-priced contender in the Wood who is capable of at least finishing second with a career-best effort. Doing so would give him 50 more Kentucky Derby points added to his existing 20 and secure him a spot in the May 2 run for the roses.

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10. Red Zone Runner

Jockey: Mychel Sanchez

Trainer: Hugo Padilla

Owner: Tom Coulter

Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds

Career earnings: $111,950

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 92

Kentucky Derby points: 0

Pedigree: Practical Joke – Look Deep, by Petionville

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace

Analysis: At the very least, this Pennsylvania-bred and -based colt should make an impact on the Wood Memorial from a pace perspective, as he returned for his first start at age 3 for new trainer Hugo Padilla to set the pace and rout five opponents by 15 ½ lengths in the 1 1/16-mile City of Brotherly Love Stakes at Parx Racing. He had run well in four starts at age 2, all at sprint distances, with one win, two seconds, and one third, but was aggressively handled by Mychel Sanchez in his first route test and passed with flying colors and a solid 92 Equibase Speed Figure. That race was held on a sloppy track at Parx, and the forecast five days out for Queens is cloudy but dry, so it’s probable that Red Zone Runner won’t get a wet track. He also finished third in two stakes races last year against far less accomplished competition, but aside from possibly Iron Honor, there are no first-rank Kentucky Derby contenders in the Wood, and Red Zone Runner is well-drawn to the outside of two closers in Courting and Bravaro, which should help Sanchez angle in for position if he can quickly get his mount out of the starting gate.

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11. Ottinho

Jockey: Dylan Davis

Trainer: Chad Brown

Owner: Three Chimneys Farm

Career record: 3 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 2 thirds

Career earnings: $80,950

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 93

Kentucky Derby points: 6

Pedigree: Quality Road – Quiet Giant, by Giant’s Causeway

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker

Analysis: It’s now or never in terms of accruing Kentucky Derby points for this superbly bred colt, who disappointed in his stakes debut last time out when he finished third, 11 ½ lengths behind upset winner Talk to Me Jimmy in Aqueduct’s 1 1/8-mile Withers Stakes. That was Ottinho’s first start at age 3 and followed a game head win in a maiden race held at the same distance and track as the Withers and Wood on Dec. 31, in which he earned a 93 Equibase Speed Figure. Ottinho is bred to run all day: his dam, Quiet Giant, produced 2017 Horse of the Year and Hall of Famer Gun Runner, by the sire Candy Ride, as well as Grade 3 winner Pretty Ana, by Quality Road, and thus Ottinho’s full-sibling (same sire and dam). Dylan Davis takes the reins for the first time and could get Ottinho more involved early than he was in the Withers, which Talk to Me Jimmy won leading from start to finish. A bounce-back effort for Ottinho is certainly possible as he adds blinkers, and that could lead to a breakthrough victory.

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12. Buetane

Jockey: Martin Garcia

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Owner: Zedan Racing Stables

Career record: 5 starts – 1 win – 2 seconds -1 third

Career earnings: $260,500

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97

Kentucky Derby points: 16

Pedigree: Tiz the Law – Taboo, by Forestry

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Stalker

Analysis: After a promising 2025, when he won his debut in Southern California and then ran second to eventual champion Ted Noffey in the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, Buetane has not been able to take the next step in three starts this winter-spring. He made his 3-year-old debut in the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita Park as the 1-2 favorite but finished second by two lengths to So Happy. He then checked in third and fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Southwest Stakes held around two turns at Oaklawn Park and the 1 1/8-mile, one-turn Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs, respectively. Buetane did earn solid speed figures in all three races and had some trouble in the San Vicente and Virginia Derby, but he has come up short at short odds three consecutive times and might be overbet again in the Wood. Interestingly, jockey Martin Garcia is assigned to ride him for the first time, and given Garcia’s reputation as an elite pace rider and Buetane’s outside post position, it is possible that his instructions are to gun the horse out of the starting gate and attempt to clear the field early. Bob Baffert won last year’s Wood Memorial with Rodriguez employing front-running tactics, although that colt broke from the rail post.

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13. Iron Honor

Jockey: Manny Franco

Trainer: Chad Brown

Owners: St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence, and Glassman Racing

Career record: 2 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $211,750

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 91

Kentucky Derby points: 50

Pedigree: Nyquist – Orencia, by Blame

Color: Bay

Running style: Press the pace

Analysis: Iron Honor has a good chance to be the post-time favorite in a full Wood Memorial field despite drawing the far outside post position. He’s 2-for-2 heading into this race, both wins coming at Aqueduct and with encouraging progression from his December debut sprinting six furlongs (a 1 ½-length victory) to his stakes bow in the one-turn mile Gotham Stakes Feb. 28, which he won by a length over a stubborn Crown the Buckeye. His Equibase Speed Figure jumped from 86 in his first start to 91 in the Gotham, and a similar move forward will give him a good chance to finish in the top three Saturday. Still, he’ll need to somehow work out a ground-saving, trouble-free trip from his unfavorable post as he tries to race around two turns for the first time. Iron Honor could be a post-time overlay in terms of betting, but the good thing for his connections is that he’s already earned 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, which based on the leaderboards from previous years should be enough to start in the May 2 classic.