This Saturday, Aqueduct will host its signature race and the final stop on the New York road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. A full field of 3-year-olds will do battle in the $750,000, Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes presented by Resorts World Casino at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

A total of 200 Derby qualifying points are on the line, with the winner receiving 100 points, and 40-30-20-10 going to the second through fifth finishers. A top-two finish in the Wood Memorial should be enough to ensure a spot in the Derby starting gate, and the points from one of the minor placings could even be enough to help some hopefuls in the field.

Twenty horses coming out of the Wood Memorial have won the Kentucky Derby, and eleven Wood winners coupled up their victory in New York with one on the first Saturday in May, including such legends as Gallant Fox, Count Fleet, Assault, Foolish Pleasure, Seattle Slew, and Pleasant Colony.  Read more about some of the best Wood winners in this article.

Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000 was the last Wood Memorial winner to win the Kentucky Derby, but that doesn’t mean the race has not been productive in recent years. The 2022 Wood Memorial turned out to be the key race for the 2022 Triple Crown series despite failing to yield a horse that hit the board in the Derby. The winner, Mo Donegal, went on to win the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, and the runner-up, Early Voting, skipped the Derby and won the Preakness Stakes in his next outing. Third-place finisher Skippylongstocking finished third in the Belmont Stakes and has since won three more graded stakes races.

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Is there are chance the 2023 Wood Memorial could also churn out multiple classic winners? Read on for more information about the horses entered in Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year olds. The Wood Memorial will air nationwide on FOX as part of the “America’s Day at the Races” show, with a scheduled post time of 6:16 p.m. ET.

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1. Dreamlike (7-2 morning-line odds) 

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owners: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable

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

Career earnings: $30,100

Earnings per start: $15,050

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 99

Pedigree: Gun Runner – Time to Tap, by Tapit

Kentucky Derby points: 0

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Trainer Todd Pletcher has been a dominant force in the Wood Memorial for the past decade-plus, with a stakes record-tying seven wins dating back to 2010. He’s won the race both of the last two years with Mo Donegal last year and Bourbonic in 2021. The race wasn’t run in 2020 but Pletcher has won three of the last four, four of the last six, and six of the last 10 editions of the Wood. Pletcher trains three entrants in Saturday’s race, and while this year’s trio does not seem like his strongest contingent, it is represented by a horse with a lot of upside in Dreamlike, who is by prominent young sire Gun Runner and out of the mare Time to Tap. Time to Tap is a half-sister (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to 2010 Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Paddy O’Prado and a full sister (same sire and dam) to champion filly and Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Untapable. Dreamlike joins Mr. Swagger and Uncle Jake as the least experienced horses in the field with only two lifetime starts – and just like another Pletcher entrant in this race, Crupi, Dreamlike is still a maiden. He’s finished second in both outings so far and got beat by Bill Mott trainees both times – first by Arthur’s Ride in his Gulfstream Park career debut going a one-turn mile on Feb. 11, and then by 23.90-1 first-time starter Empirestrikesfast at 1 1/16 miles on March 11, also at Gulfstream. His Equibase Speed Figure for the second start came up very strong at 99 and a well-bred horse like this could develop quickly at this time of year as the distances increase. The fact he hails from the Pletcher barn certainly won’t hurt, either. Owner Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable campaigned Pletcher-trained Vino Rosso, who won the Wood Memorial in 2018. Jockey Jose Ortiz won the 2019 Wood aboard Tacitus.

Bet Dreamlike in the Wood Memorial

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

2. Shadow Dragon (12-1)

Jockey: Eric Cancel

Trainer: Bill Mott

Owners: Peachtree Stable

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

Career earnings: $103,570

Earnings per start: $25,892

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 88

Pedigree: Army Mule – Fire Assay, by Medaglia d’Oro

Kentucky Derby points: 13

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This New York-bred broke his maiden at first asking in a six-furlong race at Belmont at the Big A on Sept. 29, 2022, and ended up in training this past winter in south Florida where he raced in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes and the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. His late run came up far short of catching returning 2-year-old champion Forte in the Fountain of Youth, but his second-place effort the time before in the Holy Bull was very promising when beaten only three-quarters of a length by Rocket Can. Rocket Can has since run second to Forte in the Fountain of Youth and then fourth in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. Shadow Dragon will need to do a lot better than he did in the Fountain of Youth in order to challenge in this race, but he could have it in him based on his runner-up finish in the Holy Bull. Which version will show up Saturday? Well, he’s a deep closer that would benefit from a fast pace, but unfortunately the Wood Memorial field is loaded with late runners and not many speed horses, which would be the key to helping this colt’s chances. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott won the 2019 Wood Memorial with Tacitus.

Bet Shadow Dragon in the Wood Memorial

Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photo

3. Knox (50-1)

Jockey: Jose Gomez

Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.

Owners: Arindel

Career record: 6 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third

Career earnings: $103,320

Earnings per start: $17,220

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 88

Pedigree: Brethren – Alexandra Rylee, by Afleet Alex

Kentucky Derby points: 0

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Knox’s lone career victory so far came in his career debut way back on June 3, 2022 in a five-furlong sprint on a sloppy track at Gulfstream Park. The Florida-bred raced in two of the Florida Stallion series of stakes races after that and finished fourth and third. His best recent race came just two weeks ago on March 23 at Gulfstream, which was a runner-up finish in a starter optional claiming race at seven furlongs, but on the plus side that effort yielded a respectable 88 Equibase Speed Figure. Nevertheless, the route distance of Saturday’s race could pose a problem for this colt, and this is a giant step up in class compared with the horses he’s been facing, and losing, against.

Bet Knox in the Wood Memorial

Chelsea Durand/NYRA

4. General Banker (20-1)

Jockey: Frankie Pennington

Trainer: James Ferraro

Owners: Seacoast Thoroughbreds of N. E.

Career record: 11 starts – 1 win – 3 seconds – 3 thirds

Career earnings: $429,600

Earnings per start: 39,054

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97

Pedigree: Central Banker – Elusive Jozi, by Johannesburg

Kentucky Derby points: 24

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: General Banker leads this field in terms of Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points so far with 24, but he may have already hit his ceiling at shorter distances. The son of sprinter Central Banker completes the quartet of 2023 New York Kentucky Derby preps in the Wood Memorial after finishing third in all three of the previous races – the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, the Grade 3 Withers Stakes, and the Jerome Stakes. While he did hit the board in all of those races, he never got close to winning any of them as he was defeated by a combined total of 28 ¼ lengths. In terms of Equibase Speed Figures, the best of his 2023 preps so far was the 83 that he earned in January in the Jerome, but he failed to take a step forward in the two starts since then, including in the Withers which was held at the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Wood. As a matter of fact, it is this extended distance that might prove to be the biggest hurdle for General Banker, since none of his route attempts have been anywhere close to as good as his best effort. That came in a New York Stallion Series Stakes held at seven furlongs, which he won in Dec. 2022 with a 97 Equibase Speed Figure.

Bet General Banker in the Wood Memorial

Slip Mahoney (inside) defeats Crupi on Jan. 21. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)

5. Slip Mahoney (6-1)

Jockey: Dylan Davis

Trainer: Brad Cox

Owner: Gold Square

Career record: 4 starts – 1 win – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $126,100

Earnings per start: $31,525

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 100

Pedigree: Arrogate – Got Lucky, by A.P. Indy

Kentucky Derby points: 20

Color: Gray or roan

Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Trainer Brad Cox has been a force on the Triple Crown trail and this race might be no different. Slip Mahoney is one of two Brad Cox-trained starters in the field along with Hit Show, and both appear to have big chances to win. Slip Mahoney earned a 100 Equibase Speed Figure in his determined maiden win Jan. 21 at Aqueduct in a race where he defeated today’s opponent, Crupi. The Arrogate colt actually almost graduated a race earlier on Dec. 17 at Aqueduct, losing by a neck to eventual Grade 3 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapit Trice. He exits a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct where he lost by 7 ½ lengths after completely blowing the break and starting in 13^th position in the large Gotham field. That terrible start was key for Slip Mahoney, who normally is a horse that races with early speed on or close to the pace. If he can manage a better start in the Wood Memorial, and noting that stablemate Hit Show is drawn outside in post 13, Slip Mahoney could be the horse to beat Saturday.

Bet Slip Mahoney in the Wood Memorial

Coady Photography

6. Clear the Air (15-1)

Jockey: Heman Harkie

Trainer: William Walden

Owners: Cypress Creek Equine

Career record: 4 starts – 1 win – 0 second – 0 third

Career earnings: $58,610

Earnings per start: $14,652

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 94

Pedigree: Ransom the Moon – Marsali, by More Than Ready

Kentucky Derby points: 5

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This colt is co-entered in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday. Clear the Air won his maiden race going six furlongs on the synthetic surface at Turfway Park in January and then subsequently suffered a brutal trip in his next start to be fourth when stretched out to one mile at Turfway on Feb. 11. He then was shipped to Aqueduct and returned to a dirt track surface for the first time since his career debut in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes on March 4 and ran fifth, beaten 10 ¾ lengths in a race mostly ruled by deep closers. The two-turn configuration of this race as opposed to the one-turn mile Gotham could better suit his running style, but he owns no career in-the-money finishes on dirt (0-for-2) and will need to turn the tables on Wood Memorial rivals Slip Mahoney and General Banker, who both finished ahead of him in the Gotham.

Bet Clear the Air in the Wood Memorial

Susie Raisher/NYRA

7. Arctic Arrogance (6-1)

Jockey: Jose Lezcano

Trainer: Linda Rice

Owners: Chester and Mary Broman

Career record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 4 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $313,400

Earnings per start: $52,233

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 100

Pedigree: Frosted – Modest Maven, by Uncle Mo

Kentucky Derby points: 16

Color: Gray or roan

Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This New York-bred skipped the Gotham Stakes and comes in fresh. Before that he had danced every dance on the New York road to the Kentucky Derby and he’s yet to finish out of the exacta in his six career races for trainer Linda Rice with two wins and four seconds. Has been second in three of Aqueduct’s prep races for the Kentucky Derby so far including second to Dubyuhnell in last fall’s Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at the Wood’s 1 1/8-mile distance, second to Lugan Knight in the Jerome Stakes in January, and a second to Wood rival Hit Show in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes at 1 1/8 miles back on Feb. 11. It’s worth noting, however, that Dubyuhnell and Lugan Knight were both badly beaten in all of their collective starts since winning those decisions over Arctic Arrogance (Lugan Knight is entered in Keeneland’s Lafayette Stakes going seven furlongs on Friday). At his best, Arctic Arrogance will still need to find a way to make up the 5 ½ lengths that he was beaten by Hit Show in the Withers last time out at the same track and distance. He’s very likely to race on the lead in the Wood Memorial and try to stay there as long as he can. His streak of six exacta finishes in a row to begin his career seems like it will be in serious jeopardy against a field full of potential up-and-coming challengers – however, Arctic Arrogance may once again be able to hold on for a spot in the exacta because this year’s Wood Memorial field is loaded with closers and there’s not much other legitimate speed entered in the race.

Bet Arctic Arrogance in the Wood Memorial

Bob Coglianese/Gulfstream Park

8. Lord Miles (30-1)

Jockey: Paco Lopez

Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.

Owner: Vegso Racing Stable

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

Career earnings: $51,100

Earnings per start: $12,775

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 89

Pedigree: Curlin – Lady Esme, by Majestic Warrior

Kentucky Derby points: 5

Color: Bay

Running style: Closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Lord Miles ran big in his career unveiling in a six-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream Park on Nov. 17, which he won by 5 ¾ lengths. That sent him right up vs. stakes company in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes on New Year’s Day for his second lifetime start, and the Curlin colt settled for third but was beaten by only three-quarters of a length. Unfortunately, he did not finish any better in his next two starts, which came against graded stakes competition after stretching out to two turns. He checked in sixth in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream, and then fifth in the Grade 3 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, for which he earned a handful of Road to the Derby points when earning a career-high 89 Equibase Speed Figure. The Tampa Bay Derby represented an improvement for Lord Miles in terms of speed figure, and his 5 ¾-length margin of defeat behind Tapit Trice after getting shuffled back in the field in the middle part of the race certainly wasn’t a disaster. A further move in the positive direction could yield an in-the-money finish on Saturday.

Bet Lord Miles in the Wood Memorial

Eclipse Sportswire

9. Crupi (12-1)

Jockey: Kendrick Carmouche

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owners: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable

Career record: 6 starts – 0 wins – 2 second – 3 thirds

Career earnings: $73,600

Earnings per start: $12,266

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 99

Pedigree: Curlin – Don’tforgetaboutme, by Malibu Moon

Kentucky Derby points: 0

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Crupi is still a maiden and will make his seventh career start in Saturday’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial. On the positive side, his best speed figure is better than most of his top competition, and he nearly broke his maiden two starts back when he lost by a head to Wood rival Slip Mahoney in a one-turn mile dirt race at Aqueduct on Jan. 21. The Curlin colt makes his second stakes attempt on the road to the Kentucky Derby after shipping to Fair Grounds last time to run seventh in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Lincoln and Lamarque Crescent City Ford. He was completely void of early speed and raced last in a 14-horse field in the Risen Star in the opening furlongs of the race, so he will once again need to navigate through and around a big field in the Wood if he is to make any impact. In the maiden loss to Slip Mahoney, which was his best career race to date, he actually caught up and drew even with Slip Mahoney in mid-stretch but then failed to ever go by, and that result marked the fifth time in a row he’d settled for second or third versus maidens. A second-place finish here seems like this horse’s ceiling, and even that might be a stretch against a field like this loaded with potential. As noted above, Todd Pletcher has dominated the Wood Memorial in recent years with seven wins, one of them coming with Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable-owned Vino Rosso in 2018. Three years later, Pletcher won in 2021 with Bourbonic, a 72.25-1 longshot who gave jockey Kendrick Carmouche his first Wood Memorial victory.

Bet Crupi in the Wood Memorial

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10. Uncle Jake (20-1)

Jockey: Jevian Toledo

Trainer: Brittany Russell

Owners: SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan

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

Career earnings: $35,220

Earnings per start: $17,610

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 82

Pedigree: Uncle Mo – Tasha’s Miracle, by Harlan’s Holiday

Kentucky Derby points: 0

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: At the end of February, several horses trained by trainer Bob Baffert had to be transferred to other trainers in order to be eligible for Kentucky Derby qualifying points, and while most were sent to Tim Yakteen, you might remember that Uncle Jake was an exception. This Uncle Mo colt was sent to Mid-Atlantic-based trainer Brittany Russell instead. Uncle Jake made his first start for Russell in his second career outing and blew away maidens on March 10 by 9 ½ lengths in a one-mile race at Laurel Park. In Uncle Jake’s only prior outing in his career debut, he had finished fourth in the same maiden race that featured the career debut win of the highly touted 3-year-old Geaux Rocket Ride, who will be one of the favorites in Saturday’s Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. Many of the Bob Baffert transfers that have already raced, such as Reincarnate, for example, have disappointed. In order for Uncle Jake to be any different, he is going to have to take the big leap up in class against winners for the first time in a graded stakes race, and he’s going to have to do so in what will be his third career race.

Bet Uncle Jake in the Wood Memorial

Lauren KIng/Coglianese Photo

11. Classic Catch (10-1)

Jockey: Trevor McCarthy

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owners: Whisper Hill Farm

Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 2 thirds

Career earnings: $104,410

Earnings per start: $26,103

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 94

Pedigree: Classic Empire – Moon Catcher, by Malibu Moon

Kentucky Derby Points: 0

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Stalker/closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This son of champion Classic Empire broke his maiden at this track and distance by 2 ½ lengths over Crupi last November. After posting a third-place finish in his 3-year-old debut at Tampa Bay Downs, he won a 1 1/8-mile allowance-optional claiming race at Gulfstream on March 2. The Gulfstream win was a late-running two-length score over runner-up Mr. Ripple, who came back to run a respectable fourth in the Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapain his next outing. With two wins already showing at 1 1/8 miles, there are no distance concerns for this horse, who seems like he will run all day. As mentioned earlier, trainer Todd Pletcher owns this race with two Wood Memorial wins in a row and three wins in the last four editions. The fact that this horse beat Mr. Ripple suggests he’s already a stakes-caliber runner, but the outside draw certainly won’t help.

Bet Classic Catch in the Wood Memorial

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

12. Mr. Swagger (30-1)

Jockey: Carlos Olivero

Trainer: Juan Carlos Avila

Owners: Victoria’s Ranch

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

Career earnings: $45,125

Earnings per start: $22,562

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 88

Pedigree: Maclean’s Music – Tee Off, by Thunder Gulch

Kentucky Derby points: 0

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker/closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Mr. Swagger won at first asking in a 6 ½-furlong Aqueduct maiden race by three-quarters of a length on Jan. 28, and then didn’t waste any time going right up into the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes in his second start. Sent off at odds of 31.50-1, he had to settle for sixth that day in a 14-horse race. He defeated more than half the field home in the Gotham, and that was only his second career outing leaving plenty of room for improvement – still, it’s difficult to get too excited about that effort in a race that set up for late runners. In reality, Mr. Swagger was only the fifth-best closer in the Gotham after the speed horses all backed up, and there once again seems to be a plethora of late runners in the Wood Memorial who all have an experience edge over this horse. His post draw out in the parking lot makes hitting the board Saturday an uphill battle.

Bet Mr. Swagger in the Wood Memorial

Walter Wlodarczyk/NYRA

13. Hit Show (5-2)

Jockey: Manny Franco

Trainer: Brad Cox

Owners: Gary and Mary West

Career record: 4 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $264,375

Earnings per start: $66,093

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 93

Pedigree: Candy Ride – Actress, by Tapit

Kentucky Derby points: 20

Color: Gray or roan

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: The Wood Memorial favorite and horse to beat draws the far outside post in a 13-horse field… and so the plot thickens. Hit Show won at first asking last October at Keeneland and closed out his 2-year-old season with an allowance win at Oaklawn Park, and then burst onto the scene in earnest in his stakes debut last time out at Aqueduct in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes, which was held at the Wood Memorial’s distance of 1 1/8 miles. In the Withers, Hit Show rallied past General Banker, Arctic Arrogance and others to record a 5 ½-length victory, and he did so impressively with seemingly something left in the tank. Actress, his dam, was a Grade 3 winner at Aqueduct in the 2017 Comely Stakes. Hit Show is a winner of three of four career starts and is one of the top Kentucky Derby contenders in the barn of trainer Brad Cox. He might have the best chance of all of Cox’s contenders in the Derby if – and that’s a big if – he can repeat his Withers effort and/or build upon it with another win in the Wood Memorial. That might prove difficult to accomplish from post 13.

Bet Hit Show in the Wood Memorial