In a battle of unbeatens making their final start before the May 4 Kentucky Derby, Verrazano, 3-for-3 including the Tampa Bay Derby, is favored at 4-5 over 4-1 Vyjack, 4-for-4 including the Jerome and Gotham, in a field of 10 for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.
Verrazano, currently the early favorite for the 139th Run for the Roses, would cement that status with a victory in the Wood, especially if he dominates like he did in his first three starts, which he won by 7 3/4, 16 1/4 and three lengths.
“He’s been a rare horse who’s been able to go from a maiden on Jan. 1 to the Derby favorite on the First of April, which you don’t see very often,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He’s been able to handle everything we’ve thrown at him so far, and now we have another step to go.”
Under Churchill Downs’ new point system to qualify for the Derby, limited to 20 starters, Verrazano and Vyjack both have 50 points, which is enough to make the cut, even in the unlikely event they don’t pick up more points in the Wood, which is worth 100 to the winner, 40 for second, 20 for third and 10 for fourth.
But the Wood is a do-or-die race for the Derby hopes of 5-1 Normandy Invasion, who has a meager 4 points to his credit for finishing second, beaten a nose, in last year’s Remsen at the Big A. In his only start this year, the Chad Brown-trained son of Pulpit finished a hard-luck fifth in the Risen Star, losing by 1 1/2 lengths. He’ll need to run first or second Saturday to ensure a starting berth in Louisville.