Field of 8 drawn for Wood
JAMAICA, N.Y. - A field of eight Kentucky Derby hopefuls were drawn Thursday morning for the 78th running of Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on Saturday. The Grade 1, 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds will be contested as the eighth race on a 10-race program for a purse of $750,000.
Medaglia d'Oro, the Wood's morning line favorite at odds of 5-2, drew post No. 4 and will be ridden by Laffit Pincay. Medaglia d'Oro comes into the Wood off of a 2 1/2-length win in the San Felipe-G2 at Santa Anita in his last start. Medaglia d'Oro, trained by Bobby Frankel and owned by Edmund Gann, has two wins and a second in just three lifetime starts coming into Saturday's race.
The Wood Memorial field appears to be evenly matched, with five of the eight entrants listed between 5-2 and 9-2 in the morning line. Other contenders include Saarland with John Velazquez aboard (post 7, 3-1 odds), Buddha with Pat Day (post 1, 4-1), Blue Burner with jockey Jerry Bailey (post 8, 9-2), and Sunday Break with Gary Stevens (post 3, 9-2).
The Wood Memorial will be one of three graded stakes races on Aqueduct's Saturday card which will also include the Bay Shore-G3 for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs, and the Carter Handicap-G1 for 3-year-olds and up also at seven furlongs.
The Carter field was also drawn at Aqueduct Thursday morning, with San Carlos Handicap-G1 winner Snow Ridge favored at 7-2 in an 11-horse field. Snow Ridge drew the No. 9 post with Mike Smith to ride.
Wood Memorial post draw
PP.HorseJockeym/l odds
1 - Buddha(P. Day)4-1
2 - Nokoma(M. Smith)12-1
3 - Sunday Break (G. Stevens)9-2
4 - Medaglia d'Oro(L. Pincay)5-2
5 - Iwin(K. Desormeaux)20-1
6 - Laissezaller(R. Migliore)20-1
7 - Saarland(J. Velazquez)3-1
8 - Blue Burner (J. Bailey)9-2
Carter post draw
PP.HorseJockeym/l odds
1 - Dream Run(P. Day)8-1
2 - Shibboleth(K. Desormeaux)9-2
3 - Rusty Spur(R. Dominguez)15-1
4 - Run Kush Run(C. Lopez)8-1
5 - Voodoo(J. Castillano)15-1
6 - Say Florida Sandy(A. Gryder)8-1
7 - Snow Ridge(M. Smith)7-2
8 - Burning Roma(J. Bailey)8-1
9 - Peeping Tom(L. Pincay)10-1
10- Here's Zealous(J. Velazquez)6-1
11- Affirmed Success(R. Migliore)4-1