OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Brad Cox and Todd Pletcher already have horses securely in this year’s Kentucky Derby. It is the size of their contingent that remains to be determined. Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial will figure greatly in deciding that as Cox and Pletcher combine to send out five of the 12 runners in the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds. The Wood is the final race on an 11-race, four stakes program that begins at 12:15 p.m. Thirteen were entered in the Wood, but trainer Will Walden said Thursday that Clear the Air would stay at Keeneland for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Blue Grass Stakes. The Wood offers its top five finishers qualifying points (100-40-30-20-10) toward the May 6 Kentucky Derby. None of the 12 Wood runners has enough points to crack the 20-horse Derby field, making this race pivotal. In Hit Show and Slip Mahoney, Cox sends out the favorite and co-third choice on David Aragona’s morning line for the Wood. Hit Show won the Withers here in February as the 6-5 choice. He may not be as strong a favorite Saturday after drawing the outside post. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2023: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Since 1992, post 12 is 3 for 53 in 1 1/8-mile races run at Aqueduct. The last three horses to run in the Wood Memorial from post 12 finished no better than sixth, though Queen of Triumph (55-1) in 1992 and Connect (193-1) in 2000 were longshots. In 1993, Ozan was the weaker part of a favored Loblolly Stable-owned entry. Cox, while obviously not thrilled with the draw for Hit Show, said, “If he runs as well as he’s training, I’m hoping we won’t need the post as an excuse.” Hit Show, a son of Candy Ride, was a convincing winner of the Withers, his third victory in four career starts. “He showed distance is what he wants,” Cox said. “In February of his 3-year-old season, winning at a mile and an eighth over a track that can be demanding, and he did it very well. It gives us confidence moving forward.” Manny Franco has the task of working out a trip on Hit Show. Slip Mahoney is coming out of a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Gotham after breaking poorly and being last early in a 14-horse field over a sloppy track. “I thought he ran well in the Gotham with a can’t-win trip,” Cox said. “He was able to pick off everyone but the winner and got a good bit out of it. We’re hoping he can break and not make it so hard on himself this time.” Dylan Davis rides Slip Mahoney from post 5. Pletcher, who has Forte, Kingsbarns, and Tapit Trice in the Kentucky Derby field, sends out three runners in the Wood Memorial – two-time winner Classic Catch and maidens Dreamlike and Crupi. Classic Catch, a son of Classic Empire, is 2 for 2 at 1 1/8 miles, and Pletcher was quite bullish on his March 2 allowance win at Gulfstream Park. “I thought it was a pretty good allowance race,” Pletcher said. “He kind of won with something left in the tank – pricked his ears when he made the lead – and has been breezing well. He seemed to like the track at Aqueduct when he broke his maiden. I think he’s sneaky live coming into it.” Dreamlike, a son of Gun Runner, has finished second in both of his starts, including a 1 1/16-mile maiden race on March 11 at Gulfstream. Pletcher felt Dreamlike preferred to stay with another horse in the stretch of that race, which is why he’s adding blinkers to his equipment Saturday. Jose Ortiz rides Dreamlike from the rail. “Jose worked him with the blinkers and definitely felt like he was more locked in,” said Pletcher. :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play with FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic.  Pletcher felt Crupi was too far behind early in the Risen Star at Fair Grounds in February and is giving him another chance. Crupi ended up seventh in the Risen Star, beaten 9 1/2 lengths. Kendrick Carmouche, who rode Bourbonic to a 72-1 victory in the Wood for Pletcher in 2021, has the call. The New York-bred General Banker, trained by Jimmy Ferraro, comes into the Wood with 24 Derby points, the most of anyone in this field. He accrued those points by finishing third in the Jerome in January, the Withers in February, and the Gotham in March. His lone win from 11 starts came in the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series. Arctic Arrogance, another New York-bred, has 16 points accrued by runner-up finishes in the Remsen, Jerome, and Withers. He missed the Gotham due to illness, but has been given a strong work schedule coming into this race. Trainer Linda Rice is removing blinkers from his equipment for this race in hopes of getting Arctic Arrogance to settle a bit. Shadow Dragon, Lord Miles, Knox, Uncle Jake, and Mr. Swagger complete the field. The forecast is for cloudy skies and a high of 52 degrees Saturday. The Wood will be shown nationally on FOX during a 30-minute broadcast from 6-6:30 p.m. Eastern. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.