Apparently, Kentucky Derby (G1) fever is rampant in New York.
According to candidates listed by the New York Racing Association’s media and racing offices, there is an overflow field of 16 probable starters taking shape for the April 6 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
With field size for the Wood limited to 14 starters, if all 16 candidates pass the entry box April 3, there will be two also-eligibles determined by criteria that ranges from stakes wins and placings to earnings.
Some of the probable starters could also be cross-entered and run in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland on the same day, cutting into the field size for the New York race.
Deterministic , winner of the March 2 Gotham Stakes (G3) at the Big A, looms as the likely favorite in the $750,000 mile-and-an-eighth test for 3-year-olds that will provide the winner with 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points and assure him of a spot in the field for the May 4 opening leg of the Triple Crown.
The rest of the prospective starters include Bail Us Out , Be You , Deposition , El Grande O , Elysian Meadows , Evening News , Gettysburg Address , Lonesome Boy , Merit , Resilience , Society Man , Tuscan Sky , and Uncle Heavy .
In addition, Dilger and Top Connor are also in the mix but would be on the also-eligibles list under the current list of probable starters. Dilger, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., and Top Connor, trained by Chad Brown, are both maiden winners with earnings of $44,300 and $42,000, respectively.
Deterministic, trained by Christophe Clement, is 10th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 50 points prior to the start of March 30 racing, which should be enough to earn a spot in the field of 20 for the Run for the Roses. The son of Liam’s Map is owned by St. Elias Stable, Vicarage Stable, Ken Langone, and Steven Duncker.
Among the other prospective starters, Barry Schwartz’s El Grande O has 30 points and is 14th on the leaderboard (prior to March 30 results). Trained by Linda Rice, the New York-bred son of Take Charge Indy was second in the Jerome Stakes and Withers Stakes (G3) and third in the Gotham, NYRA’s three previous 2024 Kentucky Derby preps.
Michael Milam and LC Racing’s Uncle Heavy is 22nd with 20 points. Trained by Butch Reid, the Pennsylvania-bred son of Social Inclusion won the Withers at the same 1 1/8-mile distance as the Wood.
The top five finishers in the Wood will receive 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points in descending order.
New York’s definitive Kentucky Derby prep, the Wood is one of five stakes on the April 6 card. The day’s list of stakes also includes the Carter Handicap (G2), the Gazelle Stakes (G3)—a 100-50-25-15-10 points race for the Kentucky Oaks (G1), the Distaff Handicap (G3), and the Bay Shore Stakes.
The probables for the Gazelle, a mile-and-an-eighth stakes for 3-year-fillies, are Barbratina , Ghalia Princess , Gin Gin , Life Talk , Munny Grab , and Regulatory Risk .
Of the six, Gin Gin has the most Oaks qualifying points with 41, putting her ninth in the battle for 14 spots in the May 3 grade 1 contest at Churchill Downs.
