Saturday’s 3-Year-Old Races : Capote Made 2-1 Favorite in Wood Memorial

Capote has been made the 2-1 favorite in Saturday’s $500,000 Wood Memorial, one of the major prep races for the Kentucky Derby May 2.

Nine horses were entered Thursday at Aqueduct for the Wood, which at 1 1/8 miles is an eighth of a mile shorter than the Derby. Rain is in the forecast, and there is a chance for an off track, which usually favors speed horses at Aqueduct and could help Gone West, the 3-1 third choice who won the Gotham at Aqueduct in his last start.

In order of post position, here is the Wood field:

Gulch, with Jose Santos riding; K.C.’s Best Turn, Randy Romero; Shawklit Won, Richard Migliore; Pleasant Variety, Ruben Hernandez; Capote, Angel Cordero; Battle Man, Jerry Bailey; Marine Command, Jimmy Edwards; Gone West, Robbie Davis, and Mixed Emotions, no jockey listed. All of the horses will carry 126 pounds.

There are three other Kentucky Derby preps Saturday, headed by the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, where Demons Begone is the 3-5 favorite. Blanco is the 2-1 favorite in the California Derby at Golden Gate Fields, and Harriman is the 8-5 choice in the Garden State Stakes at Garden State Park.

Here are the other fields:

ARKANSAS DERBY--Demon’s Begone, Lookinforthebigone, True Diplomacy, You’re No Bargain, Ill de Jinsky and Fast Forward.

CALIFORNIA DERBY--Put Em Up, Fairly Affirmed, Flying Flags, Blanco, Something Lucky, Simply Majestic, Barb’s Relic, Conduction Charger, Panasco and Laguna Native.

GARDEN STATE STAKES--Clever Secret, Break Clean, Irish Bear, Pleasant Variety, Pleasant Virginian, Harriman, Templar Hill, Who the Heck, Ring for Peace and Mr. S.M.

In the Forerunner Stakes for 3-year-olds at Keeneland Thursday, Blue Finn, last year’s champion 2-year-old colt in Canada, beat Kindly Court by a length and paid $10.80. The favorite, Conquistarose, finished third, 2 lengths behind Blue Finn. The time for 1 1/16 miles on the grass was 1:46 1/5.