2026 Wood Memorial Betting Odds and Contenders Preview

Key Takeaways:

• The Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack features a large, pace-heavy field where contested early fractions could set the race up for a late runner to capitalize.
• Lightly raced runners such as Steel and Iron Honor bring significant upside into a race lacking an established standout, making progression and trip dynamics more important than résumé alone.
• Tactical stalkers capable of sitting just behind the speed—particularly Bravaro—profile well in a scenario where multiple front-runners are likely to apply pressure into the first turn.
• Proven form at nine furlongs or clear pedigree stamina signals remain critical factors in this major New York prep on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

The New York spur of the Kentucky Derby trail draws to a close Saturday, April 4, with the 2026 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2). Named after Jamaica Race Course founder Eugene Wood, this race will have another connection to New York racing history as well: it will be the final edition run at Aqueduct Racetrack before moving to the newly reconstructed Belmont Park.

The Wood Memorial is a 1 ⅛-mile dirt race. The purse is a dazzling $750,000, and there are also 100-50-25-15-10 Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points on offer. It virtually guarantees the top two finishers a trip to Churchill Downs, and others may make it to Louisville as well if they have run well enough in other prep races.

The 2026 Wood Memorial drew a large field: 13 horses, racing from familiar stakes stars to recent maiden winners ready to break through. 12 are expected to race, as Ottinho has been rerouted to Keeneland for the Blue Grass. Grade 1 winner Napoleon Solo was supplemented to the Arkansas Derby (G1), but scratched to run in this spot instead – the same course where he won the Champagne (G1) last year. Gotham (G3) winner Iron Honor and blowout Withers winner Talk to Me Jimmy have made a serious impact on the Kentucky Derby trail, while runners like Steel and Albus make their stakes debuts coming off of victories against maiden company.

Though no Wood winning horse has won the Kentucky Derby since Fusaichi Pegasus (2000), other major winners of the race who have gone on to win the roses include Triple Crown winners Gallant Fox (1930), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), and Seattle Slew (1977). The Wood’s most famous loser was no doubt Secretariat, beaten in 1973 by his stablemate Angle Light, but a Triple Crown winner when all was said and done.

More recently, Wood winners have done well in races further down the line: Mo Donegal (2022) won the Belmont (G1), Vino Rosso (2018) won the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) the following year, and even Tacitus (2019) was third in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Belmont.

Wood Memorial Stakes 2026 Information

• Race Date: Saturday, April 4, 2026
• Track: Aqueduct Racetrack
• Post Time: 6:10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
• Distance: 1 ⅛ miles
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

Wood Memorial Odds

This is the field for the 2026 Wood Memorial, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds for each runner.

Note that Ottinho is expected to scratch from this race and run in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland instead.

Wood Memorial Prep Results

The 13 horses in the Wood Memorial come out of nine different races.

Four come out of Kentucky Derby points races at Aqueduct in their most recent starts. Iron Honor battled on the pace and kept on to score in the Gotham (G3) on February 28, a race in which Right to Party rallied from well off the running to finish third. Two more come out of the Withers: Talk To Me Jimmy led at every call to win in blowout fashion, and Ottinho chased midfield and chased on mildly for a well-beaten third.

Five more come out of off-the-board finishes in Kentucky Derby prep races elsewhere in the country. Bravaro had a tough start but chased on for fourth behind Commandant in the Fountain of Youth (G2) on February 28 at Gulfstream, a race where Napoleon Solo also started poorly and weakened to fifth. Courting made his sophomore debut in the Risen Star, where he also didn’t start well, chased midfield early, and emptied out to finish a well-beaten sixth. Two others come out of the ungraded Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs on March 14: Buetane chased mildly for a well-beaten fourth, and the maiden Ocelli was in range midstretch but weakened to finish sixth.

Two others come out of stakes that were not part of the Kentucky Derby trail. Red Zone Runner took the lead and thrashed his foes by 15 ½ lengths in the City of Brotherly Love, a 1 1/16-mile stakes at Parx on March 3. Minor Inconvenience chased on for a well-beaten second in the one-mile Gander at Aqueduct on March 7, where he faced New York-breds.

The other two horses in the Wood broke their maidens last out and step up to stakes company for the first time. Steel graduated on debut in a maiden dirt mile at Gulfstream on February 28, overcoming a sluggish break and taking advantage of a sharp pace to prevail by a nose. Albus needed three starts to get off the mark, but stalked and pounced February 27 at Tampa Bay Downs, winning a one-mile, 40-yard maiden special weight by 6 ¾ lengths.

Wood Memorial Contenders

These are the entrants in the 2026 Wood Memorial Stakes, in order of post position:

1. Napoleon Solo: One of two graded-stakes winners in the field, he was supplemented to the Arkansas Derby (G1), but his connections instead routed him back to Aqueduct – his connections say it was to get him back to the site of his Grade 1 win, but he was also dodging a tougher field, or at least a tougher horse in Renegade. If he takes a step forward off the lay he fits, but he also has to handle 1 ⅛ miles for the first time, and has to work a trip on or near the lead drawn to the inside of a huge field. It’s not impossible – and the fact that the Fountain of Youth was franked so well in the Florida Derby (G1) isn’t a bad thing – but he has to start well from a tough gate and then see out two turns far better than he did last out.
2. Talk to Me Jimmy: He took a huge step forward last out in the Withers – though he was facing horses bred outside New York for the first time, he bolted to the lead and ran on to win by 11 lengths. Inside speed tends to play well at Aqueduct, which is a point in his favor, as is the fact that the light came on so beautifully when he stretched to 1 ⅛ miles for the first time. But there’s also plenty of speed outside of him, meaning it could be an even more contested pace than he had to deal with last out, against a somewhat deeper field.
3. Right to Party: He graduated second-out at Aqueduct in January, and stepped up to the Gotham for his next start. He didn’t run badly, given that the start was tough, and even though the pace in front of him was honest, a horse who disputed it kept on to win. It could help him this time around for the pace to be more contested than it was last out, but he’s going to have to tackle two turns for the first time and be able to outfinish some foes who have, so far, shown better late pace than he has. A minor award may be the ceiling.
4. Steel: The real wild card in this field, he overcame a slow break to win by a nose in a maiden mile at Gulfstream on February 28. That race was his debut – and Bill Mott, of all people, sees fit to step him up to a final-level Kentucky Derby prep. The step up in distance has a right to move him forward – he is a Tapit colt, after all, and he’s a half-brother to O Besos, who racked up a fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. Mott often moves horses forward second-out, and even though the debut speed figure was lacking, a better start plus the extra distance could move him forward.
5. Ocelli: The lone maiden in the field, Ocelli came close in a couple of two-turn maiden races at Fair Grounds but proved no threat in either the Sam F. Davis or the Virginia Derby. Now he takes blinkers off, and he did ran two decent races without the headgear in the first two starts of his career. But, he didn’t appear to love 1 ⅛ miles last out in the Virginia Derby, and there isn’t an overwhelming reason to think he’ll suddenly find enough class here.
6. Minorinconvenience: He emerged as one of the better New York-breds in his class last year, breaking his maiden second-out in an off-turf sprint and then winning the six-furlong Funny Cide against dirt horses. He chased on for second when stretching out to a mile for the Gander on March 7, also against state-breds. But now, he tries two turns and open company for the first time. It’s a positive that Amelia Green’s runners tend to move forward second off the layoff, but if the top runners in this field bring their game, that’s still a lot she has to find. Furthermore, her best form has some close to the lead early, and there’ll be a lot of pace here.
7. Albus: It took him three times to get off the mark, but he figured it out in a maiden race last out at Tampa Bay Downs. It was a modest step up from his juvenile form, but he will need a step forward to contend here. This is an altogether softer field than the Florida Derby that he was scratched from last weekend – but with plenty of other pace to battle with if he is even fast enough to make it to the top, he is going to have a lot to find in his first 1 ⅛-mile effort, not to mention his first try against winners.
8. Courting: Hopes have always been high with this full brother to Clairiere, who sold for $5 million as a yearling. However, he has yet to fulfill them, especially in two-turn company. Despite his impeccable 1 ⅛-mile pedigree, he has followed up his one-mile Aqueduct maiden victory in November with a pair of off-the-board finishes in 1 ⅛-mile Kentucky Derby preps. The good news for him is that he won’t be facing the likes of Paladin or Renegade or Paladin here. The bad news is that his only victory so far has come on the front end, there’s a lot of faster speed here, and he has yet to prove he can finish the deal from anywhere but up front.
9. Bravaro: He started his career with a pair of wins against New York-breds, and ran a credible second behind Nearly in the Holy Bull (G3) next out. He has an excuse for his fourth in the Fountain of Youth after some early trouble, though Nearly didn’t exactly do much to frank the Holy Bull in the Florida Derby, either. Blinkers-on is a good move for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., however, and Joseph has been strong with his shippers to Aqueduct (and many other places) lately. Especially since he has won twice from a stalk-and-pounce style, and because he’ll be a price, there’s appeal.
10. Red Zone Runner: He freaked in the slop last out, wiring the City of Brotherly Love Stakes and crossing the wire 15 lengths clear of his foes last out, in his first start since December and his first since a move to the Hugo Padilla barn. If that was for real, then he’s fast enough for this – but those big-figure Parx horses often disappoint when stepping into graded-stakes races in New York. He did pass horses when he broke his maiden on debut, meaning that he doesn’t have to make the early lead to win.
11. Ottinho: Trainer Chad Brown entered Ottinho in the Blue Grass as well, and he will go at Keeneland.
12. Buetane: Bob Baffert shipped a marginal California-based Kentucky Derby prospect to take out a modest Wood group last year, and he’s trying to do the same thing this time, too. Buetane hasn’t won since a six-furlong maiden special on debut last August, though he has nabbed a handful of placings, both at home and in the Southwest (G#) at Oaklawn. The good news is that he doesn’t need to make the top to run a good race, and he can work an outside stalking trip. But on the other hand, the fact that he was losing ground late in both of his two-turn efforts so far raises eyebrows, and not in a good way.
13. Iron Honor: He only has two starts so far, but he is also the only last-out graded-stakes winner in the field, coming off a score in the Gotham. He battled on a fast pace and kept going that time – but also showed a stalking gear going shorter in his maiden win, meaning he has options. Ground loss is a worry from the outside gate, but it’s not impossible to win from here – after all, Rodriguez won the Wood from the far-outside draw just last year. This Chad Brown trainee still has a world of upside, but make sure to watch the tote board, as Brown trainees may get overbet, and he does make his first two-turn attempt in a field much bigger than he has ever seen before.

Wood Memorial Past Winners Past Performances

Since the advent of the points system, the Wood has been run 12 times. (It was not contested in 2020.) Nine of those 12 winners last raced in South Florida.

Five came out of the Tampa Bay Derby (G2). Verrazano (2013) and Tacitus (2019) won that race, Outwork (2016) was second, Vino Rosso (2018) was fourth, and Lord Miles (2023) was fifth. Three others came out of Kentucky Derby prep races at Gulfstream: Mo Donegal (2022) was third in the Holy Bull (G3), Frosted (2015) was fourth in the Fountain of Youth (G2), and Irish War Cry (2017) rebounded from a seventh-place try in the Fountain of Youth. Wicked Strong (2014) was fourth in an allowance at Gulfstream in his start before winning the Wood, though he had graded-stakes experience, including a third in the Remsen (G2) the year before.

Only three Wood Memorial winners came out of races outside of Florida, though all of those winners from other tracks skew recent. Rodriguez (2025) won the Wood off of a third-place finish in the San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita. Resilience (2024) bounced back from a fourth-place effort in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds. Bourbonic (2021), a 72-1 shocker at the windows, came out of a second-place finish in an allowance at Parx and made his stakes debut in the Wood.

Wood Memorial: 3 Best Bets

These are the three best bets in the 2026 Wood Memorial:

1. Steel (12-1)

In a race with as much speed as the Wood drew this year, a new face with a late-running style is appealing. And, the one with the most upside here is Steel. Bill Mott bringing a horse from a debut maiden win to a 100-point Derby prep is one of the stronger votes of confidence that a horse can have. He overcame a slow break to close into a fast pace and get up in his debut – proving he can overcome adversity and pass horses.

That came over one turn, but he has a world of upside stretching out to two turns. He is by Tapit, one of the most proven dirt stamina sires out there, out of the dam of O Besos, the fourth-place Kentucky Derby finisher in 2021, so there’s promise on the dam’s side, too. Mott’s horses tend to step forward second time out, and even though it’s a step up to face winners for the first time, there aren’t any Kentucky Derby trail heavy hitters in this field. It’s a perfect place for a new face to step up, and Steel looks like the one to do it.

2. Bravaro (8-1)

After picking up a couple of minor shares in Florida, this Saffie Joseph trainee returns to Aqueduct, the site of his debut maiden win and a stakes win against New York-breds. On the whole, he was facing better horses in Florida than he does here. And, Joseph has been sharp and savvy with his shippers all winter and spring – and won this race three years ago with a far more surprising runner, Lord Miles.

Bravaro has the right running style for this – in a field where so many horses need to be on or close to the lead, as long as he can keep his tactical running style with the blinkers being added, he can chase them and pass them – note his win in the Sleepy Hollow, where he tracked a couple lengths off of a sharp pace and took command. That could be a good trip here, and if he improves third off the lay, he can punch his ticket to Churchill Downs.

3. Iron Honor (5-2)

There is some worry about the price, as he’s a Chad Brown trainee in New York. But, on the other hand, except for maybe Steel, Iron Honor is the one with the most upside. He hasn’t done anything wrong in his two starts so far, and even though he tends to be forwardly placed, he battled a sharp pace last out in the Gotham and managed to run on and win the race by a length. He stands to get a cleaner break from the outside post – and judging from his maiden win, where he stalked and pounced over six furlongs, he does not actually need to make the lead to win the race. Despite the size of the Wood Memorial field, there aren’t a lot of horses who have made a mark yet as a serious prospect – and if Iron Honor steps up from his two races so far, it’s not impossible for him to beat this field decisively. And, if that happens, this son of Nyquist still has the possibility to be the most credible prospect out of the Wood in years.

Wood Memorial Undercard

The Wood is the 12th and final race on the flagship card of the final spring meet at Aqueduct. The card features four other stakes races. The $200,000 Gazelle (G3) is a 100-point race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Other stakes include the $300,000 Carter Handicap (G2) for older sprinters, the $150,000 Distaff Stakes (G3) for filly and mare sprinters, and the $150,000 Excelsior for older route horses.

This weekend is the final weekend of major prep races for the Kentucky Derby, including the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland, both of which also offer 100 points to the winner. With so many important races all day long, every horse racing enthusiast should make plans to watch on FanDuel TV and wager through FanDuel and TVG!

About Aqueduct

An oldie but a goodie, Aqueduct (familiarly called the Big A) opened in 1894 in Queens, New York. The track was closed in 1956 for renovations, with an updated version opened in 1959. The only racetrack within the New York City limits, it has been updated several times since then. In 1975, they laid an inner track, and in 2017, the inner dirt track was replaced with a second turf course.

Aqueduct has been the site of many moments in racing history. In the 1944 running of the Carter, fans witnessed the first – and still only – triple dead heat in a stakes race when Brownie, Bossuet, and Wait a Bit crossed the wire at the same time. Between 1963 and 1967, Aqueduct hosted the Belmont Stakes as Belmont was being renovated. In 1973, Secretariat’s retirement ceremony happened at Aqueduct.

In 2013, Aqueduct embraced its position as a true city track by inviting street artists to paint murals in the grandstand of Aqueduct. An exciting overlap of classic racing scenes and modern style, the murals help make Aqueduct a fascinating, unique destination to enjoy a day of horse racing.

2026 Wood Memorial FAQ

Q: When and where is the Wood Memorial Stakes?

A: The 2026 Wood Memorial (called the Wood Memorial Stakes presented by Resorts World Casino for sponsorship purposes) will be run Saturday, April 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. The race is the 12th and final race on the card.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Wood Memorial?

A: “Sunny” Jim Fitzsimmons leads with eight wins, all amassed between 1928 and 1957. Todd Pletcher is just behind him with seven wins between 2010 and 2022, and can tie Fitzsimmons if Courting springs the upset in 2026.

Q: Who is the favorite for the 2026 Wood Memorial?

A: Iron Honor is the 5-2 morning-line favorite and is expected to hold that status after his hard-fought victory in the Gotham, combined with the fact that he is trained by hotly-bet trainer Chad Brown. Napoleon Solo (5-2), as the only other graded-stakes winner in the field, may also take some interest, as may Buetane (8-1) just for being trained by Bob Baffert.

Q: Who is the best Wood Memorial jockey?

A: Eddie Arcaro leads with nine victories in the Wood Memorial between 1944 and 1958, including a sweep of both divisions in 1947. Among jockeys riding the race in 2026, two riders seek their second win: Paco Lopez (Napoleon Solo) won with Lord Miles in 2023, and Kendrick Carmouche (Courting) won with Bourbonic in 2021.

Q: Who won the 2025 Wood Memorial?

A: Rodriguez won the 2025 Wood Memorial for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith. Smith does not return to ride in 2026, but Bob Baffert sends Buetane, who will be ridden by Martin Garcia.

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