Kentucky Derby prep: Wood Memorial odds and analysis

Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial drew a field of 12 3-year-olds that will run the 1 1/8-mile distance. The Wood is the last of six stops on the New York road to Kentucky Derby 2025, and 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points are available to the top five finishers.

The field includes seven 3-year-olds who already ran on the Kentucky Derby trail. Together they earned 111.25 Derby points with individual totals that range from 5 to 26, although two of them are not nominated to the Triple Crown series. Captain Cook won the nine-furlong Withers in February in was his most recent start.

Here is the full-field analysis for the Wood Memorial with morning-line odds by the Horse Racing Nation staff. The Wood is scheduled as race 12 of 13 with post time set for 6:10 p.m. EDT.

1. Rodriguez, 4-1. Authentic – Bob Baffert / Mike Smith – 4: 1-2-1 - $122,800. Rodriguez broke his maiden in his second try when he beat a small field with a front-end effort as an odds-on favorite. That is what is expected from a young Bob Baffert runner who is from the ownership group led by SF Racing. He moved onto the Derby trail at Santa Anita, where he pressed the pace and finished second in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) and third in the San Felipe (G2) against fields of five and earned 21.25 Derby points. Blinkers come off. Baffert won the Wood in 2006 and 2011. Jockey Mike Smith had victories in 1990, 1992 and 1996. Use underneath.

2. Captain Cook, 4-1. Practical Joke – Rick Dutrow Jr. / Manny Franco – 3: 2-0-0 - $188,256. Captain Cook changed to the barn of Rick Dutrow after one start in Kentucky and won a maiden at Aqueduct on a sloppy track by more than nine lengths as an odds-on favorite against a large field. He then got on the Derby trail, where he was victorious with a stalking trip at the 1 1/8-mile distance in the Withers and got 20 Derby points. Win contender.

3. Tiger Twenty Four, 15-1. Lord Nelson – Bill Mott / Javier Castellano – 3: 1-1-0 - $57,400. Tiger Twenty Four raced three times at Gulfstream Park and broke his maiden by five lengths three weeks ago going a one-turn mile with short odds after getting the lead early in the race. Mott won the Wood twice, including last year with Resilience. Javier Castellano has a pair of Wood wins including in 2005 with Bellamy Road, who won by 17 1/2 lengths. Toss.

4. My Mitole, 20-1. Mitole – Carlos Martin / Luis Rivera Jr. – 5: 2-1-0 - $108,350. My Mitole raced five times at Aqueduct since May. He took a break after two starts and then won a $50,000 maiden claimer after a stalking trip. He came back to win a starter allowance by five lengths against a small field. My Mitole ran on the Derby trail in the Gotham (G3) and was fourth to get 10 Derby points. The son of Mitole is not Triple Crown-nominated, and the blinkers go on. Toss.

5. Sand Devil, 8-1. Violence – Linda Rice / Jose Lezcano – 4: 3-1-0 - $211,800. Sand Devil won his first three starts against New York-breds when he moved from a maiden to an allowance and then a stakes race. He had the lead in the Gotham, finished second and earned 25 Derby points. He will have to try two turns and nine furlongs for the first time. Use underneath.

6. Hill Road, 6-1. Quality Road – Chad Brown / Joel Rosario – 4: 1-0-2 - $226,496. Hill Road began his career in Ireland on the turf and came to America for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to finish third. He switched to the barn of Chad Brown, was third in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) with the move of a closer and has 24 Derby points. Joel Rosario won the Wood in 2015 with Frosted. Win contender.

7. Grande, 7-2. Curlin – Todd Pletcher / Dylan Davis – 2: 2-0-0 - $88,200. Grande is undefeated after two starts at Gulfstream for the team of Repole Stable and Todd Pletcher. He debuted in January in a mile maiden and then won an allowance going the 1 1/8-mile distance, both by 2 ½ lengths after getting to the front early. Dylan Davis gets the mount as John Velazquez is riding out of town. Pletcher has seven victories in the Wood from 2010 to 2022 with horses such as Eskendereya and Vino Rosso. Win contender.

8. Passion Rules, 8-1. Friesan Fire – Brad Cox / Kendrick Carmouche – 3: 3-0-0 - $114,600. Passion Rules won all three of his starts for Brad Cox and Calumet Farm. He started in a $50,000 maiden claimer at Fair Grounds, then broke slowly to run from last in a starter allowance and circled the field to win at Oaklawn in an allowance race in March. Kendrick Carmouche had a 72-1 long shot Wood victory in 2021 with Bourbonic. Live long shot.

9. Bear Claw Necklace, 30-1. Lord Nelson – Saffie Joseph Jr. / Romero Maragh – 3: 1-0-2 - $36,470. Bear Claw Necklace ships from Gulfstream  Park for Saffie Joseph. He got his maiden win in his second start going seven furlongs when he pressed the pace. Last month he was third in an allowance after having the lead. Joseph won the Wood in 2023 with Lord Miles. Toss.

10. McAfee, 30-1. Cloud Computing – Rick Dutrow Jr. / Eric Cancel – 3: 1-1-0 - $80,880. McAfee won his first start at Churchill Downs in an auction price-restricted race by three lengths with a closing move. He missed by a head in a starter allowance and was then fifth in the Gotham. The second Dutrow runner in the field has 5 Derby points, but he is not Triple Crown-nominated. Toss.

11. Statesman, 15-1. Constitution – Shug McGaughey / Samuel Marin – 5: 2-0-1 - $53,450. Statesman debuted at Saratoga as a turf horse and then needed time off. He came back in Florida and was fourth at Gulfstream. With Lasix, he won his last two races, getting the maiden win and an allowance going two turns at Tampa. McGaughey has two prior Wood victories with Easy Goer in 1989 and Coronado’s Quest in 1998. Live long shot.

12. Omaha Omaha, 20-1. Audible – Michael Gorham / Raul Mena – 7: 2-1-3 - $209,800. Omaha Omaha began his career at Delaware Park and got the maiden victory in his third start going a mile. The Virginia-bred won an allowance by seven lengths before he went to the Derby trail. He was second in the Jerome, third in the Withers, and third in the Virginia Derby and earned 26 Derby points. Use underneath.

Summary: Trainer Rick Dutrow skipped the Gotham with Captain Cook after his victory in the Withers, preferring to run nine furlongs again in the Wood Memorial. The son of Practical Joke does his best running from a stalking position, and that means he can get a good trip regardless of the pace scenario. Captain Cook is the top choice.

Sand Devil, Hill Road, Passion Rules and Omaha Omaha will offer interesting wagering options with generous odds to use with the top choice in exactas and trifectas.