Aqueduct Racetrack Picks: Wood Memorial Stakes Day, 4/5/2025

The New York Racing Association’s spur of the Kentucky Derby trail draws to a close Saturday, April 5, with Wood Memorial (G2) day at Aqueduct Racetrack. The $750,000 feature is a 1 ⅛-mile dirt race that offers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top five finishers: enough to earn the top two horses a spot in the Run for the Roses.

The card also features the $200,000 Gazelle (G3), a 100-point qualifier for the Kentucky Oaks. As with the Wood Memorial, the race is run at 1 ⅛ miles on dirt, and the top two finishers in the Gazelle are virtually guaranteed a trip to Kentucky. Others in the race may also make it to Churchill Downs if they have run well in another prep or two.

Other stakes on the card include the Carter (G2) for older sprinters, the Distaff (G3) for older filly and mare sprinters, and the Excelsior for older dirt route horses. The ten-race program gets underway at 12:10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. You can watch all day long at FanDuel TV and place your bets at FanDuel.

Make sure to check the program scratches and the weather on race day before you bet. Scratches can affect the pace scenario, and late changes can affect which horses are going to take to the track condition. Taking that extra moment to make sure the race sets up as you expect can help you make a winning play.

With less than a month until the race, get the latest Kentucky Derby Odds and see which Kentucky Derby Contenders are set to win.

Aqueduct Racetrack Picks

Race 8 - Allowance, NY-bred N1X, seven furlongs on the dirt - Leo’s Reward, Crimson Light

FanDuel odds: 10-1 and 5-2

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Stewie and Sir Palace Prince do their best work on or near the lead, meaning a horse who can track in range of that pair and make a run may be the best suited to get the winning trip. There is also an adage that seven-furlong horses win seven-furlong races: it’s a specialist distance, and when facing horses who are better at either a conventional sprint distance or trips of a mile or more, it makes sense to take a long look at horses who like seven furlongs specifically.

Leo’s Reward (10-1) can get the best of it here. He graduated last out at seven furlongs over the Aqueduct course, and did so in stalk-and-pounce fashion. He did so over good footing as well—both of his off-track starts have been good, meaning the rain in the forecast is a positive for him. He’ll have to improve from his last time out, but that last race was his first start against winners, and this lightly-raced four-year-old can move forward from the experience. He also keeps the riding services of Manny Franco, and it’s good when such a high-percentage rider keeps the faith.

Crimson Light (5-2) has only raced once, and that was over a year ago. The start was a nightmare; he hit the rail and was almost two dozen lengths behind the leader at the first call. But, not only did he start to make up ground, but he got all the way up to win. And, he did so at six and a half furlongs on a sloppy track, which both bodes well for handling seven and bodes well given the possibility for wet weather. Todd Pletcher knows how to prepare a horse off a long layoff, jockey Kendrick Carmouche has been firing sharp for the Pletcher barn, and there’s good reason he can pick up where he left off so long ago.

Race 9 - Gazelle Stakes (G3), 1 ⅛ miles on the dirt - Early On, Vanilla Sundae

FanDuel odds: 6-1 and 6-1

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Early On (6-1) came close in the Virginia Oaks last out, rallying to miss by only half a length despite some trip trouble. The concern is that trouble seems to follow her everywhere she goes; she has had some trouble in every single one of her races. But, in her last few starts she has at least put things together enough to overcome it and run well, and she is still young enough to improve. The extra distance should also improve matters, as she has strong distance breeding on both sides, and also some mud pedigree (and a credible off-track effort) if the possible rain does come to fruition.

Vanilla Sundae (6-1) steps up from the maiden ranks to face winners for the first time in the Gazelle, and tries two turns for the first time. However, she could get the best of things from a trip perspective. Last out, in her first start at three, she made the front and drew off to win in a fifteen-length blowout. Things won’t be quite as easy here with Late Nite Call likely to show speed on the front end, but she has the better position outside of that other speed horse. She also has major pedigree appeal for this stretch out to 1 ⅛ miles, being by Gun Runner out of an Empire Maker mare.

Race 12 - Wood Memorial (G2), 1 ⅛ miles on the dirt - Statesman, Grande

FanDuel odds: 15-1 and 5-1

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In a wide-open race, Statesman (15-1) could be the one to take a step forward and surprise the bigger names in this field. Trained by Shug McGaughey, an old-school trainer known for bringing horses along a little slower than many nowadays, Statesman put it together at fourth asking at Tampa Bay Downs and then beat winners in his very next start. He needs another step forward in stakes company. But, the distance should help him, he’ll get plenty of pace to rally into from midfield, and the outside draw can afford him a clean trip.

Though he cedes experience to his foes, Grande (5-1) is ready for a shot at stakes company for trainer Todd Pletcher, and he catches a lot more in the way of up-and-comers than proven horses in this field. He won both his starts at Gulfstream in maiden and then allowance company, winning both of those races in tactical stalk-and-pounce fashion. Not only does he have a nice pedigree for the distance, but he already proved in allowance company that he can get the 1 ⅛-mile distance. He can get a stalking trip from a comfortable middle gate, and should be a threat in the end for top New York trainer Todd Pletcher.

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