Captain Cook among dozen in Wood Memorial; Ballerina d'Oro tops Gazelle

Mar 31, 2025 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Captain Cook wins the Withers at Aqueduct. (Photo by Coglianese Photo / Credit to Joe Labozzetta)

Captain Cook will look to remain undefeated under the tutelage of Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning trainer Rick Dutrow when he heads a field of 12 in the $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct on Saturday.

Dutrow acquired Captain Cook last fall after the Practical Joke colt was purchased for $400,000 by at St Elias Stable at the Keeneland November sale. Captain Cook has made back a fare chunk of that cost by winning a maiden race in late December and then the Feb 1. Withers (G3) over the Wood Memorial track and distance of 1 1/8 miles.

'Two days after he ran, he seemed like he came out of it good. It was noticeable, and he's been following it up every day with good training, good breezing and good living,' said Dutrow, who trained Big Brown to Kentucky Derby success in 2008.

'He is into his life and his groove, and he's doing so good,' Dutrow added. 'He has more personality, showing better stuff from a horse who is growing up. Just better stuff, I don't really know how to explain it, but he's giving it to us.'

Hill Road has finished third in both of his U.S. appearances. The first was in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) in November, and last time he kicked off his season with a belated rally in the March 8 Tampa Bay Derby (G3).

'He wasn't nearly fit enough to be ready to win a race like that, but I wanted to give him a chance to get on the trail,' trainer Chad Brown said. 'I thought he ran very respectable, and he galloped out super.'

Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Wood seven times, generally with highly regarded entrants but sometimes with extreme longshots. Grande sort of fits in the middle as the son of Curlin enters off maiden and allowance scores at Gulfstream, but without the prior stakes experience of either Captain Cook or Hill Road.

The Bob Baffert-trained Rodriguez was no match for either stablemate Citizen Bull or Journalism in recent Southern California Derby preps, nor have Baffert shippers not especially well in Derby preps outside California this term. But the son of Authentic should take some play and has an inside post and early foot.

Others of note include Gotham (G3) runner-up Sand Devil and Omaha Omaha, who was distantly placed in the Jerome S., Withers, and Virginia Derby earlier in the season.

The Wood Memorial will offer Kentucky Derby qualifying points of 100-50-25-15-10 to the respective top finishers.

The $200,000 Gazelle (G3), a Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifier also at nine furlongs, is led by Demoiselle (G2) runner-up Ballerina d'Oro, who should come on from her season debut third in the Davona Dale (G2) over a one-turn mile at Gulfstream.

'Her comeback race was altered a bit due to a temperature midway through the winter, but nevertheless she got back on track at Gulfstream,' trainer Chad Brown said. 'That track favors speed and getting her back to one turn, she was against it. She did finish up well and galloped out super.'

The Gazelle offers Oaks qualifying points of 100-50-25-15-10 to the respective top five finishers.

Post time for the Gazelle is 4:34 p.m. ET, with the Wood Memorial at 6:10 p.m. Both races can be watched and wagered on at TwinSpires.com.