Wood Memorial Stakes Picks — Betting Preview and Predictions (Apr 5)

A blockbuster afternoon of horse racing action is set for Saturday, April 5, 2025.

Betting fans can get stuck into both the Grand National and Dubai World Cup, before the attention switches to important action on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

You can find the latest odds and our pick for the Wood Memorial Stakes here.

Odds

Wood Memorial Stakes Recent Winners

Wood Memorial Stakes: Event Information

Event Preview

The important action on the Road to the Kentucky Derby continues this Saturday, with the Wood Memorial set to take place at Aqueduct. This race has produced eleven winners of the Derby, but there has been no winner of the race to follow up at Churchill Downs since 2000.

Rodriguez is an eye-catching shipper from the Bob Baffert yard this weekend. The three-year-old was an eye-catching winner of a maiden special weight at Santa Anita in early 2025, before being held in graded company on his last two starts.

However, the latest of those does present a strong form line, as he finished third in the G2 San Felipe behind Journalism and Barnes.

The form of the Gotham Stakes will also be on display this weekend. Flood Zone was the shock winner of that prep, with Sand Devil finishing three lengths behind in second. The Linda Rice-trained runner was well-backed on that day at Aqueduct, and he should be open to further improvement now up in trip.

My Mitole (third) and McAfee (fifth) will also be looking to reverse the form from the Gotham. Recent Wither Stakes winner Captain Cook holds interesting claims for the Richard Dultrow yard, and could be one that may shift in the Derby betting if winning at Aqueduct.

Hill Road will make his first start for trainer Chad Brown this weekend. The three-year-old was an excellent third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last season, and returned with a decent effort when third in the G3 Tampa Bay Derby.

Wood Memorial Stakes Picks

Captain Cook looks like a strong contender for the Wood Memorial this year, as the three-year-old arrives at Aqueduct after posting gradual career-best ratings with each start.

He will be the main win play, while Hill Road, Rodriguez, and My Mitole could be horses of note for exotic players.