Kentucky Derby Prep: Wood Memorial Stakes - Daily Racing News

By Margaret Ransom

Nine sophomores whose connections have Kentucky Derby (G1) dreams will race 1 1/8 miles over Aqueduct’s main track in Saturday’s $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2).

Risk Taking – Photo Courtesy of Janet Garaguso / NYRA Photo

A year ago, as the COVID-19 pandemic bared down on the world and tossed everyone, including the nation’s horse racing calendar, into chaos, several of the most important Derby preps – and the Triple Crown itself – were either postponed or canceled.

The Wood Memorial was one of the races to not survive in 2020, but it’s back this year with a big purse, a strong field and 100-40-20-10 Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers, which means the winner and quite possibly the runner-up, will make the gate for the Derby in four weeks.

The Wood was first run in 1925 and named after Eugene D. Wood, who was a New York politician and horse racing enthusiast who had recently passed away. Wood served as president of Jamaica Racecourse for more than two decades.

The race was moved to Aqueduct in 1960 when Jamaica closed, where it has remained ever since. It will be contested for the 100th time this year, a number that includes the years it was held in two divisions (1944, 1945, 1947, 1974, and 1983.)

Since Triple Crown champion Gallant Fox became the first of five Wood winners to win the Kentucky Derby in 1930, 10 runners have followed — Gallant Fox, Twenty Grand, Johnstown, Count Fleet, Hoop Jr., Assault, Foolish Pleasure, Bold Forbes, Seattle Slew, Pleasant Colony, and Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000. The other four Triple Crown heroes to have won the Wood are Count Fleet, Assault, and Seattle Slew.

The list of other exceptional Wood winners includes Hill Prince, Native Dancer, Nashua, Bold Ruler, Damascus, Dancer’s Image, Slew o’ Gold, Broad Brush, Gulch, Easy Goer, Devil His Due, Unbridled’s Song, Empire Maker, Tapit, Frosted and Vino Rosso.

Also, the great champion and Triple Crown winner Secretariat famously finished third in the Wood in 1973, the loss blamed on an abscess in his upper lip, which was believed to be aggravated by his bit.

Overall, 11 Wood Memorial winners went on to win under the Twin Spires on the first Saturday in May, and even though no Wood winner since Fusaichi Pegasus has completed a Wood-Derby double, each year an exciting bunch races in New York’s marquee event to secure enough points to make the Derby.

From 1925 to 1939, the Wood Memorial was contested at 1 mile and 7 yards, 1 1⁄16 miles from 1940 to 1951 and it has been at 1 1/8 miles since. The late Hall of Famers Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons and Eddie Arcaro still lead the trainer/jockey standings for this race despite the fact neither has been represented by a winner since the 1950s. They even teamed up for the win in 1957 with Bold Ruler. Fitzsimmons saddled seven winners while Arcaro was aboard nine.

It looks like spring has finally sprung and the cold and wet weather from Friday will give way to mostly sunny skies with temperatures reaching into the mid-50s.

The Wood Memorial is the day’s 10th race feature and is expected to leave the gate at approximately 5:58 p.m. ET.

Wood Memorial Stakes 2021 Entries

The Wood Memorial field, in post-position order, with jockey, trainer and odds:

1. Brooklyn Strong (Manny Franco, Daniel Velazquez) 6-1

Wicked Strong-Riviera Chic, by Medaglia d’Oro

2. Crowded Trade (Eric Cancel, Chad Brown) 4-1

Wood Memorial Stakes 2021 Entries

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