Best Horse Racing Bets Today | Aqueduct

Big prep races from around the country on Saturday will bring us less than a month from the 2025 Kentucky Derby. This week, I will turn my attention to New York, where the historic Wood Memorial will be run at Aqueduct. Won by some of the greats of the sport, it’s also the race where Secretariat was beaten before his sensational Triple Crown run. This year’s $750,000 edition is the 100th running and a wide-open affair. It is led by Captain Cook, Grande, and Rodriguez.

Other stand out races of the afternoon include New York’s final prep for the Kentucky Oaks. The Grade 3 Gazelle is headlined by the Chad Brown-trained filly Ballerina d’Oro. In the Grade 2 Carter, another race with a long and storied tradition, Maximus Meridius and Full Moon Madness will renew their rivalry after dominating the local sprint scene over the winter. Without further ado, let's get to my analysis, top picks, and suggested wagers for this strong card of racing from Aqueduct.

Race #9 Gazelle Stakes (Grade 3) $200,000 1 1/8-Miles Dirt - 4:34 pm EST

A strong second over the track and at the distance last fall in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes, Ballerina d’Oro looks to prove herself a serious Kentucky Oaks contender when she tops a field of eight 3-year-old fillies in the $200,000 Gazelle Stakes on Saturday at Aqueduct.

Trained by Chad Brown, the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro has made only one start so far this year and was a solid third in the Grade 2 Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park behind a pair of nice fillies. She will look to use her strong late run in the 9-furlong Gazelle in search of her first graded stakes win.

A New York-bred daughter of Union Rags, Early On could be the biggest danger to the favorite on Saturday. It took her four races to break her maiden but she has looked good since stretching out in distance in her last two. A romping winner of a Gulfstream Park maiden race to begin her sophomore season, she followed that up with a near miss in the Virginia Oaks last time.

Another interesting candidate here is the Todd Pletcher-trained Vanilla Sundae. A daughter of Gun Runner, she has improved in each of her three lifetime starts. She has yet to take on stakes company, but was a stylish winner of a recent maiden race. The win came at Aqueduct where she ran her competition off their feet, winning by a pole. Coming in sharp and stakes tested, however, Early On is the one I like best here. She will be my top pick.

My Plays

• $10 Exacta Part Wheel - Early On over Ballerina d’Oro and Vanilla Sundae  = $20

• $10 Daily Double Part Wheel -  Early On, Ballerina d’Oro, and Vanilla Sundae with Quint’s Brew = $30

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Race #10 Carter Stakes (Grade 2) $300,000 7-Furlongs Dirt - 5:06 pm EST

Maximus Meridius and Full Moon Madness combined to win three sprint stakes at Aqueduct over the winter. On Saturday, they will meet again when the pair headlines a contentious edition of the Grade 2 Carter Stakes at Aqueduct.

The winner of both the Gravesend and Toboggan this past winter at Aqueduct, the Butch Reid-trained Maximus Meridius deserves plenty of respect in the 7 furlong Carter. A 4-year-old son of Maximus Mischief, he was upset last time at Parx, but should be ready to fire another big shot as he returns to Aqueduct in search of his most important win yet.

Full Moon Madness finished behind Maximus Meridius in both the Gravesend and Toboggan, but did not get off to a good start in either and was not far off in either at the finish. Last time out, the Into Mischief gelding got off to a better start and cruised to victory in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Stakes at Aqueduct.

Several dangerous contenders await the top pair, including Quint’s Brew. Invading from Maryland, where he has 4-of-5 career starts, the Mosler gelding has won two straight impressively at his home base of Laurel after returning from a layoff. Both wins came in stakes company and at one turn. This will be his toughest test yet but he could not be going any better. Quint’s Brew will be my top pick.

My Play

• $20 Win & Place - Quint’s Brew = $40

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Race #11 Excelsior Stakes $150,000 1 1/4-Miles Dirt - 5:38 pm EST

With four wins and a second from five career starts at Aqueduct, it is time for Masmak to make his stakes debut. The occasion will be the 1 1/4-mile Excelsior Stakes in the race before the Wood Memorial

A son of Vino Rosso, the 4-year-old chestnut had displayed some potential in his first four career starts but was still a maiden when he came to Aqueduct last fall and transferred to the barn of Rick Dutrow. He rattled off two straight wins at a flat mile, before finishing a troubled second in his third start at the Big A. In his last two, Masmak stretched out to 9 furlongs and won both races impressively.

Chief among his competition on Saturday will be the graded stakes winner Batten Down. Trained by Bill Mott, the beautifully bred 4-year-old won a pair of stakes races last season, including the Grade 3 Ohio Derby. He is also well tested at the distance, having twice run well last year at 10 furlongs. An even fourth in a graded stakes to start his season, he is working well for this test.

Of the rest, Crupi could prove most dangerous. A two-time stakes winner at Aqueduct, he has also displayed an ability to handle the trip. The late-running son of Curlin won the Grade 2 Suburban at the distance last year at Saratoga for trainer Todd Pletcher. Overall, however, I like the distance of this race best for Batten Down. He is my top pick.

My Plays 

• $10 Daily Double Part Wheel - Batten Down with Sand Devil, Captain Cook, and Hill Road = $30

• $5 Daily Double Part Wheel - Masmak with Sand Devil, Captain Cook, and Hill Road = $15

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Race #12 Wood Memorial (Grade 2) $750,000 1 1/8-Miles Dirt - 6:10 pm EST

The list of serious contenders for the 100th edition of the Grade 2 Wood Memorial is not a short one. With important Kentucky Derby points on the line, the trio of Grande, Captain Cook, and Rodriguez should all vie for favoritism on Saturday at Aqueduct.

Of the three, Captain Cook is the one who comes in off a stakes victory. Trained by Rick Dutrow, the son of Practical Joke has looked the part of a serious horse in two straight impressive wins. The last came at the distance in the 9 furlong Withers Stakes. Given some space between races, that victory came nine weeks ago at Aqueduct.

Meanwhile, Grande is unbeaten in two starts and Rodriguez has faced top competition in California. The former is trained by Todd Pletcher and the son of Curlin looked good winning his first two career starts at Gulfstream Park. The latter was a well-beaten third by Journalism and Barnes last time in the San Felipe, but before that he scored a nice maiden win and was a solid second behind the champion Citizen Bull.

Other strong contenders in the Wood Memorial include Hill Road and Sand Devil. The former was a rallying third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in his U.S. debut last fall and returned with a solid third in the Tampa Bay Derby. The latter suffered his first career defeat in the Grade 3 Gotham last time but was hampered by a stumbling start. A strong winner of his first three races at Aqueduct, I believe he can bounce back. In a wide-open race, Sand Devil is my top pick.

My Play

• $20 Win & Place - Sand Devil = $40

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