Tipsheet: 2024 Wood Memorial Stakes

A huge field of 13 three-year-olds will go postward at Aqueduct in the $750,000 Wood Memorial S. (G2) on Saturday. The top five finishers of the 1 1/8-mile dirt test will earn qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis in the 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series event. 

 2024 Wood Memorial Stakes Picks

• #4 Deterministic
• #1 Resilience
• #9 Tuscan Sky
• #13 Uncle Heavy

2024 Wood Memorial Stakes  Wagers

• $25 win and place #4 Deterministic
• $15 exacta box 1-4
• 20-cent superfecta 1,4 with 1,4,9 with 1,4,9,13 with all 

2024 Wood Memorial Stakes Contenders

#1 RESILIENCE: Bill Mott trainee was a solid fourth in the deep Risen Star S. (G2) in his black-type debut last time out and will run with blinkers on for this engagement. This improving Into Mischief colt has put in bullet morning drills in two straight as of late, and he looms large with expected improvement from the rail. John Velazquez retains the ride. 

#2 EL GRANDE O: Consistently good Linda Rice charge has finished in the money in the three local preps leading up to Saturday and merits respect as an exotics contender in this one. The Take Charge Indy colt will be forcing the tempo from this post early on and makes sense to be there turning for home with Dylan Davis picking up the mount. 

#3 LONESOME BOY: Parx invader has never been better and comes in off of a big stakes triumph over sloppy going in the Keystone State last time out. The Hugo Padilla charge has done well in both of his route races to date and will bring some pace to the race with Adam Bowman in the stirrups. 

#4 DETERMINISTIC: Top pick has been very impressive from two lifetime runs and has a lot of room for improvement in a second run since the summer for Christophe Clement. The son of Liam’s Map will make his two-turn debut on Saturday and gives the impression of a three-year-old who will thrive with the added distance. He comes in with a bullet morning drill and retains regular rider Joel Rosario. 

#5 PROTECTIVE: Maiden from the Todd Pletcher shedrow will add blinkers for a second run since the summer but seems like a reach against this sharp group at this stage of his development. The Medaglia d’Oro colt will have Kendrick Carmouche in the irons. 

#6 EVENING NEWS: Interesting sort from the barn of Michael Pino has improved his Brisnet Speed figure in four straight and comes off of a sharp allowance win on the All-Weather at Turfway Park in his latest venture. This dark bay son of Nyquist is moving in the right direction and will be a presence from the opening bell with Jareth Loveberry up. 

#7 MERIT: Saffie Joseph trainee has been outrun in a pair of allowance tilts following a nice debut win, and the son of Mastery will need a huge move forward to make the frame on this occasion. The dark bay is training well and has some gate speed, but he is a major question mark going long against this field, in my opinion. 

#8 ELYSIAN MEADOWS: Second from the Mott shedrow showed some late life to be fourth in the Sam F Davis (G3) in his most recent run and will make a second route attempt on this day. The City of Light sophomore is obviously talented, but he needs to get faster and prove he wants to run long before being backed by me. Jose Lezcano has the call. 

#9 TUSCAN SKY: Spendthrift color bearer is 2-for-2 with a pair of sharp tallies to begin his career and is a most obvious win threat in the big field. The Pletcher trainee could be any kind going forward and he continues to train well, which includes a bullet half-mile move leading up to Saturday. The $200,000 yearling buy will never be far back with Manny Franco in the silks. 

#10 GETTYSBURG ADDRESS: Constitution colt has come up short in four straight following a sprint debut win, and the bay seems unlikely in his first attempt since arriving in the barn of Dallas Stewart. The Kentucky-bred puts the blinkers back on and could be a bit more involved in the early stages of the contest, but he would be a surprise, nonetheless. 

#11 SOCIETY MAN: Gelded son of Good Magic rallied to break his maiden over a muddy, sealed oval here most recently but needs a huge move forward to be a contender on this occasion. The chestnut will need a career-best showing to make noise late against this field under Luis Rivera. 

#12 DEPOSITION: Outsider gets a tough post slot, and he was a non-factor in the recent Gotham S. (G3) on the oval, so he would be a shocker. The Constitution colt has improved some since adding the hood, but he can’t be endorsed at this stage of his development. 

#13 UNCLE HEAVY: Contender from the Butch Reid barn got a tough draw on the far outside but flashed his potential when getting up late in the Withers S. (G3) in his latest appearance. The Pennsylvania-bred son of Social Inclusion is 3-for-4 lifetime and did look the part from a visual standpoint in his local bow, but he still has his work cut out for him against this group. Regular pilot Mychel Sanchez will be in the irons once again atop the exotics contender.