Wood Memorial Stakes Cheat Sheet

Shagaf was a dominant winner of the Gotham Stakes on March 5 at Aqueduct. (All photos by Eclipse Sportswire, unless otherwise noted)
The premier Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands prep race in New York, the Wood Memorial Stakes is one of three major Kentucky Derby prep races around the country on Saturday. The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds awards 170 points toward the Kentucky Derby starting gate (on a 100-40-20-10 scale) and a $1-million purse.
Shadwell Stable had a disappointing week last week when Mohaymen didn’t fire in the Xpressbet.com Florida Derby, but Shadwell gets a second shot at winning a major Grade 1 on the Kentucky Derby trail with the undefeated Shagaf in the Wood. But before he can be crowned one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby, he has to take on a talented field that includes Flexibility and Outwork in addition to five others.
Read on to get the lowdown on each of the eight contenders for the $600,000 top prize at Aqueduct.
No. 1: Shagaf (2-1)

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Trainer: Chad Brown
Owner: Shadwell Stable
Career record: 3 starts - 3 wins - 0 second - 0 thirds
Career earnings: $298,800
Earnings per start: $99,600
Pedigree: Bernardini - Muhaawara, by Unbridled’s Song
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Shagaf is one of two highly regarded runners on the Kentucky Derby trail for Shadwell Stables, which also has Mohaymen. Shagaf has only run three times, but one of those was a victory in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, in which he won his first attempt at the level. He is one of two runners in the Wood for Chad Brown and is a homebred for Shadwell. Shagaf’s dam is a half-sister (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner Eldaafer and is from the family of Kentucky Oaks winner Gal in a Ruckus.
No. 2: Adventist (10-1)

Jockey:  Kendrick Carmouche
Trainer:  Leah Gyarmati
Owner:  Treadway Racing Stable
Career record: 3 starts - 1 win - 0 second - 2 thirds
Career earnings:  $101,000
Earnings per start: $33,667
Pedigree:  Any Given Saturday - Sharp Minister, by Deputy Minister
Color: Bay
Running style:  Front-Runner /Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Adventist won his first start by 11 ¼ lengths before finishing third in both the Grade 3 Withers and Gotham Stakes. He has raced only at Aqueduct. Adventist was bought for $100,000 as a yearling in Kentucky and is raced by the same connections who raced multiple Grade 1 winner Sweet Reason. 
No. 3: Trojan Nation (30-1)
Jockey: Drayden Van Dyke
Trainer: Patrick Gallagher
Owner:  Julie Gilbert and Aaron Sones
Career record: 5 starts - 0 wins - 0 seconds - 3 thirds
Career earnings: $23,290
Earnings per start: $4,658
Pedigree: Street Cry - Storm Song, by Summer Squall
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Based in California, Trojan Nation will be taking his first trip outside California for the Wood Memorial. Trojan Nation’s dam is champion and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Storm Song, who also is the grandam (maternal grandmother) of Irish classic winner Order of St George and multiple Singapore champion Better Life. He’s been third in three of five races but has no experience in a stakes race.
No. 4: Tale of S’avall (20-1)

Jockey: Joe Bravo
Trainer: Barclay Tagg
Owner: Charles Fipke
Career record: 3 starts - 1 win - 0 second - 0 thirds
Career earnings: $81,300
Earnings per start: $27,100
Pedigree: Tale of Ekati – S’ Avall, by Awesome Again
Color: Dark Bay or Brown
Running style: Stalker/Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Tale of S’avall is owned and trained by the same pair who campaigned Tale of Ekati to a win in the 2008 Wood Memorial before he finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby. Tale of S’avall broke his maiden in his debut at Saratoga Race Course and has a pair of fifth-place finishes in graded stakes since then. His grandam (maternal grandmother) is Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home and he comes from the same family as champion Sky Beauty. Tale of S’avall’s sire is also from the family, with his grandam being Tale of S’avall’s fourth dam.
No. 5: Flexibility (8-1)

Jockey: Manny Franco
Trainer: Chad Brown
Owner: Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence
Career record: 5 starts - 2 wins - 2 seconds - 0 thirds
Career earnings: $268,500
Earnings per start: $53,700
Pedigree: Bluegrass Cat - Santa Vindi, by Vindication
Color: Bay
Running style: Front-Runner/Stalker 
Notable achievements and interesting facts: A regular face on the New York Kentucky Derby trail, Flexibility won the Jerome Stakes in his 3-year-old debut after finishing second to Mohaymen in two stakes races last year. He put in his first off-the-board performance in his most recent start, the Withers Stakes, when he finished fourth by two lengths. Flexibility was a $185,000 purchase as a 2-year-old in training. He is aiming to give trainer Chad Brown his first Wood Memorial winner.
No. 6: Matt King Coal (3-1)

Photo courtesy of Coglianese Photo
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Trainer: Linda Rice
Owner: Lady Sheila Stable
Career record: 4 starts - 2 wins – 1 second - 1 third
Career earnings: $110,500
Earnings per start:  $27,625
Pedigree: Cool Coal Man - Donna Marie, by Came Home
Color: Bay
Running style:  Front-Runner
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Never off the board in four starts, Matt King Coal broke his maiden in his third start after being beaten by a nose in his second start by eventual Remsen Stakes third-place finisher Gift Box. Bought for $250,000 last year as a 2-year-old, Matt King Coal is from the same team that campaigned champion La Verdad. If Matt King Coal wins the Wood Memorial, it will be the first win in the race for all of his connections.
No. 7: Dalmore (12-1)
Jockey: Kent Desormeaux
Trainer: Keith Desormeaux
Owner: Big Chief Racing, Rocker O Ranch and Keith Desormeaux
Career record: 7 starts - 1 win - 3 seconds - 0 thirds
Career earnings: $74,502
Earnings per start:  $10,643
Pedigree:  Colonel John - Silver Breeze, by Silver Deputy
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Dalmore broke his maiden (won his first race) in late March with a 2 ½-length victory in his first race on dirt at longer than a mile. Jockey Kent Desormeaux has ridden him in all but two of his seven starts and the Desormeaux brothers are the same trainer-jockey combination behind another Triple Crown contender in Exaggerator.
No. 8: Outwork (5/2)

Jockey:  John Velazquez
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Repole Stable
Career record: 3 starts - 2 wins - 1 second - 0 thirds
Career earnings: $111,800
Earnings per start: $37,267
Pedigree: Uncle Mo - Nonna Mia, by Empire Maker
Color: Bay
Running style: Front-Runner
Notable achievements and interesting facts:  Outwork was the first runner and winner for 2015 champion freshman sire Uncle Mo and is owned, trained and ridden by the same connections as his sire. Making his first start in a race longer than three-quarters of a mile, Outwork finished second in the Tampa Bay Derby by a length to fellow Todd Pletcher trainee Destin. Outwork was bred by his owner Mike Repole, who is looking for his first Wood Memorial victory. Pletcher has won three Wood Memorial Stakes with jockey John Velazquez aboard two of them.