Tipsheet: 2026 Wood Memorial Stakes

A deep field of 13 three-year-olds will travel 1 1/8 miles over the Aqueduct main oval in Saturday’s $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2). The 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series contest will reward the top five finishers with qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale. 

Wood Memorial Picks

• #13 Iron Honor
• #1 Napoleon Solo
• #8 Courting
• #2 Talk to Me Jimmy

Wood Memorial Wagers

• $30 win #13 Iron Honor
• $1 trifecta 13 with 1,2,8 with all

Wood Memorial Contenders

#1 NAPOLEON SOLO: Chad Summers trainee bagged the Champagne (G1) on this course in dominant fashion as a juvenile and will make his second run of the season on this occasion. Talented son of Liam’s Map was outrun late in the deep Fountain of Youth (G2) in his sophomore debut and will surely improve second time off the layoff under Paco Lopez. The colt will be sent from the break. 

#2 TALK TO ME JIMMY: Rudy Rodriguez trainee ran a huge one when leading at every call in posting an 11-length score in the Withers S. last time out. The New York-bred son of Modernist is two-for-two since adding blinkers and appears to be training well in preparation for his second run of the season. Ruben Silvera retains the ride. 

#3 RIGHT TO PARTY: McPeek pupil made a belated run to garner third-place honors in the Gotham (G3) on the oval and has exotics appeal in a field with a lot of pace. The chestnut son of Constitution has posted a trio of good morning moves leading up to his second run off the shelf and will make one run in the stretch with Christopher Elliot taking the reins. 

#4 STEEL: Bill Mott trainee went last-to-first in a smart debut win at Gulfstream Park and will face graded foes on the big class rise on this day. The gray son of Tapit will appreciate the move to two turns against this group, but this is a big ask in a huge field with Sahin Civaci accepting the mount. 

#5 OCELLI: Connect colt from the Beckman barn has been sixth in a pair of stakes runs in advance of Saturday and will run with blinkers off on this occasion. The bay has improved his Brisnet Speed rating in a trio of races in succession, and if the equipment change vaults him forward once again, then he could be a dangerous longshot in the lane beneath Joe Ramos. 

#6 MINORINCONVENIENCE: Talented Mendelssohn colt was a stakes runner-up in his first appearance of the season while traveling at a one-turn mile, and I expect the sophomore to move up, getting two turns for the first time. The stakes winner from the Amelia Green shedrow will be forwardly placed from the break, with Jaime Rodriguez taking the reins for the initial time. 

#7 ALBUS: Riley Mott charge broke his maiden with authority at Tampa Bay Downs in his third career showing and has improved in every career run in advance of his stakes bow. The son of Yaupon will need a lifetime best to challenge this field in the lane, however, and others seem more likely to me. Jaime Torres will be in the stirrups. 

#8 COURTING: $5 million yearling purchase was a non-factor with blinkers on in the Risen Star (G2) in his seasonal debut and will run with the hood off on Saturday. The Todd Pletcher pupil has performed well on the course in his lifetime, and the chestnut son of Curlin could be very interesting if the pace backs up in the lane. Kendrick Carmouche has the call. 

#9 BRAVARO: Fountain of Youth fourth gets the addition of blinkers for his return to the Empire State and dons a perfect two-for-two mark at Aqueduct. The talented New York-bred is still a question mark going long, but he has a lot of ability and wouldn’t be a major surprise to me with Edwin Gonzalez inheriting the mount. 

#10 RED ZONE RUNNER: Practical Joke colt aired in the stakes ranks over a sloppy, sealed oval at Parx in his route debut most recently and is the wildcard in the cast. The Keystone State-bred will be making his second appearance for conditioner Hugo Padilla and figures to be asked for speed from the gate with Mychel Sanchez retaining the ride. 

#11 OTTINHO: First of two from the Chad Brown shedrow was a well-beaten third in the Withers S. last time, but the Quality Road colt gets blinkers on and is also a winner at nine panels on the oval, as well. The Three Chimneys homebred will rally from behind a healthy and contested pace in the lane beneath Dylan Davis. 

#12 BUETANE: Three-time graded stakes placed son of Tiz the Law finished fourth as the favorite in the Virginia Derby in his most recent effort and is a nice fit in this group for Baffert. The $1.15 million purchase has the gate speed to overcome the demanding post and comes in with a bullet morning drill, too. Martin Garcia will be in the saddle. 

#13 IRON HONOR: Excellent prospect is perfect from a pair of one-turn tilts leading up to his nine-furlong debut, and I expect the burly son of Nyquist to shine in this spot. The Chad Brown pupil was game in running down a clear leader in the Gotham in his latest venture, and I expect him to thrive with the added ground on Saturday despite drawing widest in the field. Regular rider Manny Franco stays in the silks.