Beckman's Ocelli, cross-entered at Keeneland, will go to Wood

After entering Ocelli in both the Grade 1 Blue Grass and Wood Memorial (G2), trainer Whit Beckman has settled on Aqueduct.

Keith McCalmont, director of communications for the New York Racing Association, said in an X post that the Connect colt would ship to New York from Kentucky on Wednesday.

McCalmont's post also said that Beckman's Nycon, cross-entered in the Ashland (G1) at Keeneland and the Gazelle (G3) at Aqueduct, will run in New York.

“We are taking the path of least resistance,” Beckman told the Keeneland media team. “Ocelli is 30-1 in the Blue Grass, and Nycon, I think she will like the longer stretch at Aqueduct and take advantage of the mile and an eighth.”

The Wood and Gazelle each offer 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, respectively.

Ocelli, who has no Derby points, is winless in five starts and most recently finished sixth in the Virginia Derby. His best showing was a second-place finish in his second start.

Nycon, a Nyquist filly, is in 23rd place on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) leaderboard with 18.75 points earned in her runner-up effort in the listed Busher at Aqueduct on Feb. 28. She has one win from four starts at four tracks and also was second in the black-type Cash Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 1.