This piece focuses specifically on the pair of Grade 2 races in New York: the Wood Memorial and the Gazelle.

The Wood Memorial is the final step down the New York spur of the Kentucky Derby trail.  The race was inaugurated at Jamaica Racetrack in 1925, and was run there through 1959.  In fact, the race’s name keeps a part of Jamaica Racetrack alive, as its namesake Eugene Wood founded that course.  Though the race was downgraded to a Grade 2 last year, it has been a rich source of Kentucky Derby winners in the past.  Eleven horses have carved Wood into roses, including four Triple Crown winners: Gallant Fox (1930), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), and Seattle Slew (1977).

Head over to Picks and Ponderings, read my preview of Saturday’s three-year-old preps at Aqueduct, and let me know your thoughts in the comments!