Kentucky Derby trail 2026: Wood Memorial odds and analysis
Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial drew a field of 13 3-year-olds who will run the 1 1/8-mile distance. The Wood is the last of six stops on the New York road to Kentucky Derby 2026, and qualifying points are apportioned 100-50-25-15-10 to the top five eligible finishers. This will be the final time the Wood is run at the Big A with the opening of the new Belmont Park in September.
The field includes nine 3-year-olds who already have run on the Kentucky Derby trail. Together they earned 137 Derby points with individual totals that range from 2 to 50. Two of them are not nominated to the Triple Crown series. Three are winners on the Kentucky Derby trail: Napoleon Solo won the Champagne (G1) as a 2-year-old, Talk to Me Jimmy took the Withers in February and Iron Honor got his victory in the Gotham (G3).
Here is the full-field analysis for the Wood Memorial with Horse Racing Nation projected odds for each horse. The Wood is scheduled as the last of 12 races on the card with post time set for 6:34 p.m. EDT.
1. Napoleon Solo, 3-1. Liam’s Map – Chad Summers / Paco Lopez – 3: 2-0-0 - $330,520. Napoleon Solo won his only two starts as a 2-year-old. The bargain $40,000 yearling purchase broke his maiden in an auction-restricted maiden at Saratoga and then romped in the Champagne (G1). His return this year in February was a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth (G2) against what has turned out to be a strong field. He has 15 Kentucky Derby qualifying points from those two stakes and is ranked 31 on the leaderboard. Connections entered him in the Arkansas Derby (G1) but opted to wait and run at Aqueduct, where he was so impressive in victory. Back on home track.
2. Talk to Me Jimmy, 14-1. Modernist – Rudy Rodriguez / Ruben Silvera – 3: 2-0-1 - $163,600. Talk to Me Jimmy began his career with two maiden races against New York-breds. He was third in his September debut and then in November won by more than five lengths with a front-end effort. He moved to the Derby trail in February and ran away from the field of seven in the 1 1/8-mile Withers by 11 lengths, picking up 20 Derby points and ranking him 26th on the leaderboard going into the Wood. Top pick.
3. Right To Party, 34-1. Constitution – Kenny McPeek / Chris Elliot – 3: 1-0-2 - $90,200. Right to Party is part of the New York division of Kenny McPeek’s barn, which is run by veteran trainer Jimmy Jerkens. He broke his maiden in his second try with a late run going the one-turn mile at Aqueduct and then tried the Derby trail in the Gotham (G3) where he finished third behind Iron Honor. Although his finish in the Gotham is worth 15 qualifying points, he is not nominated for the Triple Crown series. Use underneath.
4. Steel, 11-1. Tapit – Bill Mott / Sahin Civaci – 1: 1-0-0 - $40,800. Steel debuted in February at Gulfstream Park for Bill Mott. The homebred son of Tapit rallied from last in a field of nine to win by a nose after a slow start going a mile. Mott won the Wood in 2019 and 2024. Use underneath.
5. Ocelli, 28-1. Connect – Whit Beckman / Joseph Ramos – 5: M-1-2 - $34,800. Ocelli is still a maiden after five starts. He raced at four tracks, beginning in November with a third at Churchill Downs. He stretched out to two turns and hit the board twice in maidens at Fair Grounds. Ocelli moved to the Derby trail, where he was sixth in the Sam F. Davis and the Virginia Derby. Blinkers come off after three races with them. Toss.
6. Minorinconvenience, 90-1. Mendelssohn – Amelia Green / Jaime Rodriguez – 4: 2-1-0 - $160,350. Minorinconvenience has raced exclusively against New York-breds. He broke his maiden in his second try at Saratoga by more than 10 lengths and then won the Funny Cide by four after pressing the pace both times. In his first start of 2026 he stretched out to a mile and was second in an Aqueduct stakes last month. Toss.
7. Albus, 34-1. Yaupon – Riley Mott / Jaime Torres – 3: 1-0-1 - $36,288. Albus broke his maiden in his third start, which was at Tampa Bay Downs in February when he beat a field of six by almost seven lengths going two turns as an odds-on favorite with first-time Lasix. He began his career as a 2-year-old with starts at Keeneland and Churchill Downs. Toss.
8. Courting, 10-1. Curlin – Todd Pletcher / Kendrick Carmouche – 4: 1-0-0 - $71,850. Courting is best known as a $5 million Keeneland yearling because of his top-class pedigree. He is out of Grade 1 winner Cavorting and a full brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Clairiere. He broke his maiden in his second try at the Big A in November and then was fourth in the Remsen (G2) and sixth in the Risen Star (G2). He has earned 2 Derby points and is 43rd on the leaderboard. Blinkers come off after trying them at Fair Grounds last time. Pletcher had seven wins in the Wood from 2010 to 2022 and will try to tie the all-time record for victories in this historic race. Toss.
9. Bravaro, 14-1. Upstart – Saffie Joseph Jr. / Edwin Gonzalez – 4: 2-1-0 - $222,700. Bravaro is another stakes-winning New York-bred who won his first two races against state-breds. Starting in September, he broke his maiden and won the Sleepy Hollow. This year he moved to the Derby trail and has 20 qualifying points, 28th on the leaderboard, from a third in the Holy Bull (G3) and a fourth in the Fountain of Youth. Blinkers go on. Trainer Joseph had a victory in the Wood in 2023. Use underneath.
10. Red Zone Runner, 13-1. Practical Joke – Hugo Padilla / Mychal Sanchez – 5: 2-1-2 - $111,950. Red Zone Runner will make his first start in New York in the Wood. The Pennsylvania-bred won at first asking against state-breds at Parx Racing and was third in the Pennsylvania Nursery. His last two starts were in open-company stakes, where he was third in the Heft at Laurel Park going seven furlongs and then won by more than 15 lengths on a sloppy and sealed track at Parx going two turns last month. Red Zone Runner is not Triple Crown-nominated. Use underneath.
11. Ottinho, 14-1. Quality Road – Chad Brown / Dylan Davis – 3: 1-0-2 - $80,950. Ottinho began his career in November and broke his maiden in his second try at Aqueduct on Dec. 31 when he led every step of 1 1/8 miles in a field of eight. Last seen he was a distant third in the Withers, which got him 6 Derby points, 39th on the leaderboard. Blinkers go on this Three Chimneys homebred. Toss.
12. Buetane, 12-1. Tiz the Law – Bob Baffert / Martin Garcia – 5: 1-2-1 - $260,500. Buetane ran five times at five tracks, starting his career with a victory at Del Mar in August and then finishing second behind champion Ted Noffey in the Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga. He was second in the San Vicente (G2) at Santa Anita as an odds-on favorite. On the Derby trail, he was third in the Southwest (G3) and fourth in the Virginia Derby. Buetane has 16 Derby points and is 29th on the leaderboard. Baffert has three prior wins in the Wood, including last year with Rodriguez. Use underneath.
13. Iron Honor, 9-5. Nyquist – Chad Brown / Manny Franco – 2: 2-0-0 - $211,750. Iron Honor probably has a spot in the Kentucky Derby locked up thanks to his victory in the Gotham, his second career start, which gave him 50 qualifying points and put him at 13th on the leaderboard. This Chad Brown runner won both of his starts at Aqueduct with pace-pressing trips. Win contender.
Summary: The pace projector expects a fast pace in the Wood Memorial. By my count, eight of the 13 3-year-olds running at Aqueduct on Saturday had a strong performance when they raced on or near the lead in the early going. The morning-line favorite Iron Honor is certainly one of them. He is undefeated in two starts but drew the far outside in this large field, and he will have to hustle to get good early position as he tries two turns for the first time. Napoleon Solo has Grade 1-winning speed and he breaks from the rail, where we can expect him to get in front right out of the gate.
I am going to take a chance with a longer price in this field. New York-bred Talk to Me Jimmy made big improvements from race to race and overwhelmed the field in the Withers with an 11-length victory. He is one of only two horses in the field with a win going 1 1/8 miles. Talk to Me Jimmy is the top pick in the Wood.