Fields taking shape for Wood Memorial Day stakes

by NYRA Press Office

Fields are coming together for Wood Memorial Day, the premier spring showcase at Aqueduct Racetrack, anchored by the 94th running of the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on Saturday, April 7.

The Wood Memorial, the final New York stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, will be one of five graded stakes on the blockbuster card, which also includes the Grade 2 Gazelle for Kentucky Oaks hopefuls at 1 1/8 miles, and the Grade 1 Carter Handicap, New York’s first Grade 1 event of the year.

The Wood Memorial will be part of a live national broadcast on NBC Sports Network from 5:30-7:30 p.m. ET, which will also include coverage of the Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park.

Probable fields for Wood Memorial Day stakes on Saturday, April 7:
Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial - 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles, 123 pounds
Worth 100-40-20-10 qualifying points as part of the Kentucky Derby prep series
Purse increases to $1 million with entry of a Grade 1 winner
Probable: Enticed (Kiaran McLaughlin); Evaluator (Michael Dilger); Firenze Fire (Jason Servis); King Zachary (Dale Romans); Marconi (Todd Pletcher); Old Time Revival (Kenneth Decker); Solomini (Bob Baffert); Vino Rosso (Pletcher)
Possible: American Lincoln (Linda Rice)

Grade 1, $400,000 Carter Handicap - 4-year-olds and up at seven furlongs
Probable: Army Mule (Pletcher); Awesome Slew (Mark Casse); Do Share (Rice); Fellowship (Decker); Great Stuff (David Jacobson); Petrov (Ron Moquett)
Possible: Calculator (Rudy Rodriguez); Favorable Outcome (Chad Brown); My Boy Tate (Michelle Nevin); Skyler’s Scramjet (Nevin); Spartiatis (Rodriguez) 

Grade 2, $300,000 Gazelle - 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles
Worth 100-40-20-10 qualifying points as part of the Kentucky Oaks prep series
Probable: Dixie Serenade (Edward Coletti, Jr.); Midnight Disguise (Rice); My Miss Lilly (Mark Hennig); Sara Street (McLaughlin); Smokinpaddylassie (Coletti); Split Time (Rice); Virginia Key (Pletcher)
Possible: Blue Union Rags (John Servis); Stronger Than Ever (Kenny McPeek) 

Grade 3, $250,000 Bay Shore - 3-year-olds at seven furlongs
Probable: A Different Style (John Servis); Aqua Bel Sar (Bisnath Parboo); Aveenu Malcainu (Jeremiah Englehart); Engage (C. Brown); I’m an Ocala Dude (Nevin); Justaholic (Keith Nations); National Flag (Pletcher); Restoring Hope (Baffert)
Possible: World of Trouble (Js. Servis)

Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior - 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles
Probable: Admiral Blue (Rodriguez); Backsideofthemoon (Leo O’Brien); Zanotti (Juan Carlos Guerrero)
Possible: Harlan Punch (David Jacobson, pending R7 Sat. at AQU); Testosterstone (Gary Sciacca)