Wood Memorial

Several horses clustered near the bottom of the "Road to the GI Kentucky Derby" are eligible for the race based on points, but their connections have not committed to the Derby. So this list differs slightly from the official qualifying rankings with respect to a few horses who are currently outside the top 20 points leaders and looking to get in. 1) COMMANDMENT (c, Into Mischief--Sippican Harbor, by Orb). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Lee Pokoik (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $485,000 RNA Wlg '23 FTKNOV; $475,000 RNA Ylg '24 FTSAUG; $500,000...

Trainer Riley Mott knew it would be a big ask for Albus (Yaupon) to go from a one-mile and 40-yard maiden victory to the nine-furlong GII Wood Memorial, but the colt responded with aplomb to win from well off-the-pace on Saturday at Aqueduct and punch his ticket to Louisville for the GI Kentucky Derby. "He came back covered in mud, and Jaime [Torres] said he wasn't fazed at all by the kickback--going around horses, splitting horses in a big field," Mott said. "It showed a lot of professionalism. I don't...

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides analysis for Saturday's GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland, GI Santa Anita Derby and GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct. All three offer 100-50-25-15-10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Last Saturday's Results - Commandment (Into Mischief) established himself as one of the leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby with a thrilling last-to-first victory at 9-5 in the GI Curlin Florida Derby. Blackout Time (Not This Time) sat the trip I was looking for just behind the leaders, but had...

Glen Eden. She says it's every bit as picturesque as it sounds. Two hundred acres across a valley in Chester, New Jersey: hunters and jumpers, 50 stalls, an indoor ring, another two outdoors. And a bunch of kids wanting to ride ponies. Nice, rural, domestic scene, a world away from the blue-collar grit of Aqueduct. Now, to be fair, horses take a ton of work wherever you are and whatever you're doing. "I mean, the sport-horse trainers, just like the racehorse trainers, it's a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week job," Kathy Kunsman points...

Taj Mahal (Nyquist), two-for-two after winning the Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Feb. 21, is expected to make his next start in the Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial, Tom Ryan of co-owner SF Racing confirmed Sunday. "The notion is he'll take his shot in the Wood Memorial," Ryan said. "He's done nothing wrong so far, and he's ran himself up the ladder while improving his numbers. He's got some nice time in between after his first two starts were close together. I personally believe the distance is not going to...

Civil Liberty (Independence Hall), third-place finisher in last summer's GI Del Mar Futurity and a maiden of four career starts, will look to graduate in the GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct Apr. 4. The 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial offers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. "That's definitely our goal," trainer Doug O'Neill said of the Wood Memorial. "He acts like the distance won't be a problem for him at all. It wasn't a problem for his pops--his dad could run the distance. We're excited about him." Carrying the colors of...

We edge inside the two-month mark to the GI Kentucky Derby with a well-bunched Top 12 hurtling toward more lucrative qualifying points races at longer distances. 1) PALADIN (c, Gun Runner--Secret Sigh, by Tapit) O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter M. Brant, Brook T. Smith, and Summer Wind Equine, LLC; B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $1,900,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime record: MGSW, 3-3-0-0, $848,250. Last start: WON Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes. The 3-for-3 Paladin has racked up two wins in nine-furlong...

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides analysis for Saturday's three GI Kentucky Derby preps--the GI Santa Anita Derby, GII Wood Memorial S. & G2 UAE Derby--and Tuesday's postponed GI Toyota Blue Grass S. GI Toyota Blue Grass S. - I'm banking on a big performance from Chancer McPatrick, who should move forward nicely off his runner-up effort while making his sophomore debut in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby. Despite just a field of seven entered, there figures to be plenty of pace (East Avenue sporting first-time blinkers, the rail-drawn...

The final weekend of major preps for both the GI Kentucky Derby and the GI Kentucky Oaks got a few extra days tacked on as significant rain around Lexington pushed Keeneland to delay their spring racing features back to Monday and Tuesday next week. While the races will be missed as part of Saturday's action, there is certainly no void as Santa Anita and Aqueduct both offer their final stops on the Road the Kentucky Derby. The 1 1/8-mile GI Santa Anita Derby features a small yet mighty field with...

St. Elias Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Captain Cook (Practical Joke) breezed a half-mile in :49 (14/79) Wednesday over the Belmont Park dirt training track as he prepares for the GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct Apr. 5. Trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr., the bay was completing his sixth workout since capturing the nine-furlong Listed Withers Feb. 1. "It was mostly maintenance," said Blake Dutrow, Dutrow Jr.'s nephew and Belmont-based assistant. "He's ready so we are just trying to keep him happy and stay out of his way, because we feel...

Multiple graded stakes winner Irish War Cry (Curlin--Irish Sovereign, by Polish Numbers) has been purchased by Bob and Tyree Wolesensky and will relocate from Northview Stallion Station in Maryland to the Wolesensky's Leadem Farm in Leola, Arkansas for the 2025 breeding season. The 10-year-old stallion won the 2017 GII Wood Memorial Stakes and GII Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes, as well as the 2018 GIII Pimilco Special. He is the sire of this year's Maryland Million Sprint Stakes winner Celtic Contender, as well as Maryland Million Distaff third-place finisher Spencerian...

GI Wood Memorial Stakes winner Wicked Strong (Hard Spun--Moyne Abby, by Charismatic) has been pensioned from stud duty, gelded and retired to the Massachusetts farm of Centennial Farm owner Don Little, Jr. An earner of nearly $2,000,000 through his racing career which spanned from 2013 to 2015, Wicked Strong broke his maiden at second asking at Belmont Park and was third in the GIII Remsen Stakes before winning the Wood Memorial. After finishing fourth in both the GI Kentucky Derby behind California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) and the GI Belmont Stakes,...