Wood Memorial 2026
The second of three Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races on Saturday, April 4 is the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct. With an expected post time of 6:34 p.m. ET, it is just slightly behind the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and ahead of the Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita. This is the largest field of the three, as 12 hopefuls are looking for 100 Kentucky Derby points for a win or at least some points for finishing in the top five.
This is Race 12 of 12 on the card, so it serves as the literal main event of the Saturday card and features two of the stronger contenders on the inside and two of the stronger contenders on the outside, with a bunch of unknowns or inexperienced with this type of class horses in the middle.
Our friends at DRF have updated their Derby Watch List as a result of last week’s outcomes and you can bet that there’ll be another huge shift after the Wood Memorial Stakes, as well as the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and the Santa Anita Derby out in California.
Wood Memorial Stakes 2026 Entries, Horses, Jockeys, and Trainers:
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | Napoleon Solo | P. Lopez | C. Summers | 7-2 |
| 2 | Talk to Me Jimmy | R. Silvera | R. Rodriguez | 6/1 |
| 3 | Right To Party | C. Elliott | K. McPeek | 20/1 |
| 4 | Steel | S. Civaci | W. Mott | 12/1 |
| 5 | Ocelli | J. Ramos | W. Beckman | 20/1 |
| 6 | Minorinconvenience | J. Rodriguez | A. Green | 30/1 |
| 7 | Albus | J. Torres | R. Mott | 12/1 |
| 8 | Courting | K. Carmouche | T. Pletcher | 8/1 |
| 9 | Bravaro | E. Gonzalez | S. Joseph Jr. | 8/1 |
| 10 | Red Zone Runner | M. Sanchez | H. Padilla | 30/1 |
| 11 | Ottinho | D. Davis | C. Brown | 10/1 |
| 12 | Buetane | M. Garcia | B. Baffert | 8/1 |
| 13 | Iron Honor | M. Franco | C. Brown | 5-2 |
Ottinho has opted to run in the Blue Grass Stakes instead, leaving us with a field of 12. Casual horse racing fans will notice that there aren’t a lot of household names among the riders. With some of the more prominent Triple Crown horses running in other places, we’ve got a lot of New York-based jockeys aboard in this one. By no means does that mean that they are bad riders and they should know the Aqueduct dirt rather well.
Here are some thoughts on each horse at the odds at time of publish:
1. Napoleon Solo (7-2; Lopez/Summers): The son of Liam’s Map and Atomic Blonde is one of the top contenders here after a really disappointing fifth in the Fountain of Youth. Napoleon Solo was a very impressive winner in the Champagne Stakes after breaking his maiden last August over six furlongs. Stepping up to a mile wasn’t an issue, but stepping up to 1 1/16 was, though that Gulfstream start was his first outside the Empire State. The price is short here, too, and after finishing behind Commandment and Chief Wallabee, among others, in the Fountain of Youth, maybe this softer field is perfect for him. His start will be crucial, as he wants to be a pace pusher, but has to get out there quick with the rail draw.
2. Talk to Me Jimmy (6/1; Silvera/Rodriguez): Ruben Silvera has a great opportunity here aboard Talk to Me Jimmy. He was in the irons for the Withers Stakes, a race that the son of Modernist won by 11 lengths. That race is 1 ⅛, so the same distance as this one, which may very well give him a big leg up because he’s handled that length before. Like Napoleon Solo to his left, Jimmy wants to head to the front and try to stay there. Silvera ran out front in the Withers and went gate-to-wire. While this isn’t a stellar field by any means, it is larger and more accomplished than that field was. Still, with limited pace pushers and high speed figures, he has a great shot at a nice number in search of his third win in a row.
3. Right to Party (20/1; Elliott/McPeek): A consideration for exotics, Right to Party is one of many closers in the middle of the field here. The son of Constitution does not have nearly the speed figures of others, which aren’t even elite numbers by Triple Crown contender standards. The distance might help this Kenny McPeek entry get to the board, as he didn’t run well at the start of the mile-long Gotham a couple months ago, but did close well.
4. Steel (12/1; Civaci/W. Mott): Not every race has a great unknown, but most every race has an unknown. Steel could be great. We don’t really know yet, as the son of Tapit and Snuggs and Kisses showcased his deep closer ability to win his debut at Gulfstream over a mile. Now he’s shipping to the north for Bill Mott. The question here is whether or not the early pace of this race will be too much to overcome. In his maiden, he was one of nine and was the worst starter from the gate, but still crossed the line first. Junior Alvarado had that ride. Sahin Civaci has this one, as he was a stud at Woodbine in Canada and is now running full-time in New York. As of Wednesday morning, he only had 12 wins in 133 starts this year.
5. Ocelli (20/1; Ramos/Beckman): Ocelli was cross-entered in the Blue Grass Stakes, but has opted to run in the Wood Memorial. Winless in five starts, D. Whitworth Beckman has opted to take the blinkers off of Ocelli. Maybe that helps, maybe it doesn’t, but it’s worth trying anything after finishing sixth in the Virginia Derby and a sixth in the Sam F. Davis. He’s already run at Fair Grounds, Tampa Bay Downs, and Colonial Downs, so the son of Connect and Zaila is no stranger to shipping, but he is a stranger to winning and has only finished second once. He’s outclassed here.
6. Minorinconvenience (30/1; J. Rodriguez/Green): Jaime Rodriguez gets his first assignment aboard Minorinconvenience for trainer Amelia Green with a horse that has finished first twice and second once across four starts. The son of Mendelssohn is making his second start as a 3-year-old and finished second in the Gander Stakes at Aqueduct early last month. His two wins came in sprints. Mendelssohn won the UAE Derby at 1 3/16, but that was his only route win on dirt and it came in his first career dirt race. It’s a big ask to go 1 1/8 here with a better field than Minorinconvenience has faced thus far.
7. Albus (12/1; Torres/R. Mott): Riley Mott and the connections originally targeted the Florida Derby, but opted to take a more reasonable shot here by shipping up to Aqueduct. This will be the fourth different track in four races for the son of Yaupon and Adream, having run at Keeneland, Churchill Downs, and Tampa Bay Downs. Going two turns at Churchill last year, Albus ran third over 1 1/16. Coming off the winter shelf, he went a little over a mile to break his maiden comfortably. The distance and the track change are a lot, but Jaime Torres had the mount in the route run at Churchill, so at least he knows the horse.
8. Courting (8/1; Carmouche/Pletcher): Perception and reality have been very, very different for this son of Curlin and Cavorting. With some impressive connections and a good bloodline, one win in five starts and some underwhelming speed figures, this horse is an example of the volatility of the sport. In two prior stakes races, Courting has been fourth in the Remsen and sixth in the Risen Star. The hope was that he’d take a leap as a 3-year-old, but that has not been the case after finishing 2025 with a win at Aqueduct. Kendrick Carmouche gets his first crack after John Velazquez had the first four rides.
9. Bravaro (8/1; Gonzalez/Joseph): Most New Yorkers who head to Florida for the winter enjoy their time. Maybe Bravaro enjoyed the weather, but he didn’t enjoy racing there, finishing second well behind Nearly in the Holy Bull and then fourth behind Commandment, Chief Wallabee, and Solitude Dude in the Fountain of Youth. He was 2-for-2 in New York before turning into a snowbird. Dylan Davis and Tyler Gaffalione had previous rides for Saffie Joseph Jr., as Edwin Gonzalez hops aboard here for a horse that also adds blinkers. As of Wednesday morning, Gonzalez had 35 wins in 193 starts this year and nearly $1.2 million in winnings. This is a very intriguing horse.
10. Red Zone Runner (30/1; Sanchez/Padilla): The distance is the question for this son of Practical Joke and Look Deep, as 1 1/16 at Parx was no problem, but this is a much bigger ask, not only with the extra eighth, but with the strength of the field. In five starts, he hasn’t finished worse than third. Regardless of how he finishes, he’s probably going to start well under Mychel Sanchez, who rode him to that win at Parx at 4-5 in the slop. He’ll be a factor here no matter what, but the question is whether or not he’ll be a factor at the end. He’ll definitely be part of determining the pace for this race.
11. Ottinho (10/1; Davis/Brown): Running in the Blue Grass Stakes.
12. Buetane (8/1; Garcia/Baffert): Based on speed figures, pedigree, and connections, expect Buetane’s price to come down on race day. The Bob Baffert trainee is the son of Tiz the Law and Taboo and has taken a lot of money in some other marquee races while burning up bankrolls. He’s run some routes and stakes as a 3-year-old, but hasn’t been able to pay horseplayers that put their trust in him. He has only finished worse than third once, but his maiden remains his only win. Martin Garcia gets the ride for the first time and is the fourth different rider in four races.
13. Iron Honor (5-2; Franco/Brown): The horse to beat looks to be Iron Honor, the son of Nyquist and member of Chad Brown’s barn. Manny Franco has had all three rides, including the triumph in the Gotham back on Feb. 28 on this very course over a mile. The distance is the question, with data points at six furlongs and one mile. Father Nyquist had no issues with two turns, winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Florida Derby, and Kentucky Derby. Iron Honor is going to have to take the leap that many expect in order to win this race, with a big ask coming from the far outside in a 12-horse field.
Wood Memorial Predictions
This could be it for Courting, with Carmouche as the right type of rider for this horse. I like him over Iron Honor and then Bravaro and Buetane. Courting just hasn’t fired as expected, but at some point, that talent is going to shine through and maybe a new rider will be just the ticket. Iron Honor has a long ride from the outside that could take up a bit of strength. Bravaro goes back up to NY and that should spark something.
Prediction: 8-13-9-12
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