OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Vino Rosso finally showed everybody in the afternoon the ability he had been showing his connections in the morning. And while he is far from a finished product, Vino Rosso earned his spot in the Kentucky Derby with a three-length victory over Enticed in Saturday’s Grade 2, $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. The victory was not without controversy. Vino Rosso, ridden by John Velazquez, and Enticed bumped twice in the stretch, prompting a steward’s inquiry and an objection from Junior Alvarado, the rider of Enticed. The stewards dismissed the foul claim, saying they did not believe the contact impacted the outcome of the race. Enticed, who had already clinched his spot in the Derby with a victory in last month’s Grade 3 Gotham, finished second by 2 1/4 lengths over Restoring Hope. It was six lengths back to Firenze Fire in fourth. He was followed, in order by, Heartfullofstars, King Zachary, Evaluator, Old Time Revival, and Catch Twenty Two. The victory was worth 100 qualifying points to Vino Rosso, giving him 107 and putting him into the Derby field. Vino Rosso gave trainer Todd Pletcher his fifth victory in the Wood Memorial – and third graded stakes victory at Aqueduct Saturday – and adds to his already strong Kentucky Derby arsenal that includes Florida Derby winner Audible, Louisiana Derby winner Noble Indy, and Rebel Stakes winner Magnum Moon. :: ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays “We got a lot of nice horses that are consistent and show up every time and have the pedigree to suggest they’ll handle the distance,” said Pletcher, who won last year’s Kentucky Derby with Always Dreaming. “At the same time, this looks like a really deep and tough crop. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and hope they all stay healthy.” Vino Rosso, a son of Curlin owned by Vinnie Viola and Mike Repole, was coming off a fourth-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby and a third in the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs. In both races, Vino Rosso appeared to struggle around the second turn. Pletcher said after watching him train recently, he deduced that Vino Rosso just didn’t handle the Tampa surface. The Wood was run oddly. Old Time Revival ran off under Jeremy Rose and opened up a six-length lead on the field after running a half-mile in 46.68 seconds. Enticed was in second position, with Restoring Hope to his outside in third. Vino Rosso, seventh early, moved into fifth down the backside and was fourth entering the far turn. The trio of Enticed, Restoring Hope, and Vino Rosso had caught up to Old Time Revival by the five-sixteenths pole. Turning into the stretch, it was clear the race was coming down to Vino Rosso, on the outside, and Enticed on the inside. In upper stretch, Vino Rosso appeared to come down on Enticed, who had tried to keep Vino Rosso parked out turning for home. The two bumped twice, with Vino Rosso’s back end turned toward the outside. Velazquez slapped Vino Rosso and he began to edge away from Enticed. Velazquez called the contact “mutual. He’s coming out and if you watch the turn I’m going to hold him in. My horse switches leads and I touch him a little bit and I’m a half a length in front of him. Now he [Enticed] turns my horse in, and I pull him out and he turns him in again. He hit him left-handed trying to push me out.” Alvarado, who had gotten disqualified from second in Friday’s Grade 3 Distaff, was incensed there was no change. “I got bumped three times and got pinched on the rail … this was way too much,” Alvarado said. “I didn’t bump him once.” Kiaran McLaughlin, the trainer of Enticed, felt his horse should have been elevated to first. “They’ve taken them down a lot more often with less,” McLaughlin said. Said Pletcher: “No question there was contact. I think it was mutual and I don’t think it affected the outcome of the race. I think Vino Rosso looked like he was going to win it at that point and Enticed was going to finish second.” Vino Rosso covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.79 and returned $10.40 to win as the third choice. Pletcher was relieved to see Vino Rosso run a complete race. “We kept feeling like we were seeing a horse that had that talent and had been training that well and we felt like a mile and an eighth was something he was looking for and even further would be better,” Pletcher said. “This is the performance we’d been hoping for.” Velazquez, who rides three of Pletcher’s four Derby qualifiers, will have a decision to make in the coming weeks. He does believe Vino Rosso still has more to learn. “I thought he ran well and he still needs to put it together,” Velazquez said. Enticed is also expected to move on to the Kentucky Derby. Restoring Hope, who finished third in his stakes debut, earned 20 points, but that most likely will not be enough to crack the Derby field. Firenze Fire picked up 10 points and now has 39. His owner, Ron Lombardi, said “most likely” Firenze Fire will be pointed to the Derby.