Wood Memorial 2017: Odds and Analysis

The $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) provides the field of eight three-year-olds one last chance to earn a spot in the starting gate for the 2017 Kentucky Derby. The Wood is one of four remaining races to offer the spread of 100-40-20-10 Derby qualifying points.

Cloud Computing has the most points of any horse in the field. His total of 20 is on the bubble, tied with five others, spanning places 17 through 22 on the leaderboard. A win or a second place finish in the Wood promises a spot in the Run for the Roses, while a third or fourth will require 10 or more previously earned points.

The Wood was the final prep race for the winner of the Kentucky Derby in 2003 when Funny Cide was second in the Wood, again in 2001 Monarchos was second in New York, and in 2000 Fusaichi Pegasus went from a win at Aqueduct to collect the Roses.

While recent winners of the Wood Memorial may not have won the Derby, their influence has still been significant, especially when we mention horses like: Empire Maker, Tapit, Tale of Ekati, Eskendereya, Gemologist, Verrazano, Wicked Strong, and Frosted.

The Wood Memorial is slated as race 10 in a 12 race card with post time at 5:52pm ET. Here is the field for the mile and an eighth stake, which in total has 51 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Glennrichment (20-1) [Zayat Stables – Rudy Rodriguez – Kendrick Carmouche – 4: 1-1-0 $49,440 – 0 KY Derby points] This Zayat Stables homebred son of Pioneerof the Nile is making a major step in class from his recent maiden victory to grade one company. It took him four tries to get his first win and it was in a field of six. He won that race on the front end so I guess he could be a pace factor in the Wood. Major Class Increase.

Mo Town (4-1) [Magnier, Tabor, Dutrow – Tony Dutrow – Javier Castellano – 4: 2-1-0 $251,600 - 10 KY Derby points] The winner of the juvenile Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct came into 2017 on a lot of Kentucky Derby Top 10 lists, but his debut in the Risen Star was a major disappointment. He showed some early interest, but faded badly at the New Orleans track. In the Wood, this son of Uncle Mo returns the Aqueduct main track and the nine-furlong distance where he won his Derby points. He will need a major form reversal to be able to contend in this very solid field. The Dutrow barn has been pretty chilly in 2017 with just one win in 21 starts. Can we draw a line through his last race? Wait and See.

Battalion Runner (2-1) [St. Elias Stable - Todd Pletcher - John Velazquez - 3: 2-1-0 $60,600 - 0 KY Derby points] Trainer Todd Pletcher has been burning up the Kentucky Derby Trail with the possibility of seven starters on the First Saturday in May. They are all lightly raced three-year-olds, who have done very well in their first start in a prep race. Of all of these young sophomores, Battalion Runner may have had the greatest expectations. His two wins at Gulfstream Park were eye-catching while earning BSFs of 91 and 98, the most recent around two turns. Owner Vinny Viola is also a partner in the recent Florida Derby winner Always Dreaming, so Pletcher has had to keep those two apart on the Derby Trail while also giving Battalion Runner lots of time between races. He will need to make the transition from the hard Gulfstream Park surface to the deeper Aqueduct main track, but Pletcher has already won the Wood four times since 2010. This $700,000 yearling purchase will be the favorite. Another Pletcher Winner?

Bonus Points (15-1) [Three Diamonds Farm – Todd Pletcher – Luis Saez – 7: 1-2-2 $129,150 – 5 KY Derby points] Bonus Points is the most experienced horse in the field with seven career starts, including five as juvenile. This Maryland-bred has never run a bad race, but has only a maiden victory, which came in his third start. He spent his winter in New York and handles the tracks well, but this is an even tougher test for him. Very Tough Assignment.

True Timber (20-1) [Calumet Farm – Kiaran McLaughlin – Paco Lopez – 5: 1-1-1 $129,150 – 6 KY Derby points] True Timber will be the only horse to run in all four of the 2017 stops on New York Road to the Kentucky Derby. That speaks to his durability and experience. The best he could muster was a second in the Withers and a third in the Jerome. In the Gotham, he contended the early pace, but faded badly to finish fifth. All five of his career starts were at Aqueduct. I don’t expect a breakthrough performance from this New York City runner. Facing Better Horses.

Stretch’s Stone (20-1) [Roddy Valente – Bruce Levine – Manny Franco – 3: 2-1-0 $72,700 – 0 KY Derby points] This New York-bred will be running in a stakes race and open company for the very first time in this grade two event. His record shows two victories, although he got the top money in a recent allowance race by disqualification.  He broke his maiden by 8 ½ lengths on a muddy Aqueduct inner track. No doubt he’ll be a very useful and money-making state bred, but this spot is just way too tough. In Open Company Here.

Cloud Computing (3-1) [Klaravich and William Lawrence - Chad Brown – Irad Ortiz - 2: 1-1-0 $96,000 - 20 KY Derby points] Talk about lightly raced three-year-olds on the Derby Trail, this Chad Brown runner began his career in February, a mere two months ago. An impressive maiden score prompted Brown to bring him right back in the Gotham. In a major step-up in class, Cloud Computing finished second behind the big effort of J Boys Echo and in doing so beat El Areeb by more than seven lengths and earned a BSF of 96. This is a talented horse that should continue to improve. He has only trained in New York, so he may hold a home track advantage. Chad Brown horses always get bet and he has a legitimate shot to upset Battalion Runner. Legitimate Contender.

Irish War Cry (3-1) [Isabelle de Tomaso - Graham Motion – Rajiv Maragh – 4: 3-0-0 $299,460 - 10 KY Derby points] Things change very quickly on the Kentucky Derby Trail and so it has been with this New Jersey-bred. The winner of his first three races including a big win in the Holy Bull (G2) had Irish War Cry as an up and comer, but the wheels fell off in the Fountain of Youth when he finished a very distant seventh. The Holy Bull victory earned a 101 BSF, one of the highest for any three-year-old, so many out there feel that a bounce was to be expected in the Fountain of Youth. He enters the Wood as the leading earner and with the highest career BSF, so I expect a big race from the son of Curlin. You might get the right price with the promising Pletcher and Brown runners taking a lot of action. Motion won this race in 2011 with Toby’s Corner. Return to His Best Expected.