It's been a difficult last few weeks on the Triple Crown trail for trainer Chad Brown.
Two weeks ago, Canaletto, who was a game third in the March 7 Tampa Bay Derby (G3) in just his second career start, suffered a hind leg injury that will sideline him until late summer.
Then last weekend, the undefeated Paladin, one of the leading favorites for the Kentucky Derby (G1), suffered a non-displaced condylar fracture in his right front ankle that will require surgery.
"It's really bad luck," Brown said.
Come April 4, Brown's luck could take a dramatic swing for the better when he will send out Iron Honor in the $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds in what will be remembered as the last edition of New York's definitive Kentucky Derby prep at Aqueduct Racetrack, which will close June 28 and the Wood will shift to Belmont Park at a one-turn, 1 1/8-mile distance next year.
Unlike the other 11 starters in the mile-and-an-eighth Wood, Iron Honor is already on firm ground for the Run for the Roses. He earned 50 qualifying points through a victory in the Feb. 28 Gotham Stakes (G3) and that should be enough to nail down one of the expected 17 spots for American horses.
But as the son of Nyquist enters the Wood, he has just two starts to his credit, has yet to race around two turns, and has the outside post, and Brown believes a forward move off the Gotham will answer any questions about his status for the May 2 opening jewel in the Triple Crown.
"He's drawn wide so it's going to be a challenge. But the horse is training very well now that he's come out of the Gotham and settled in New York. He's had an uninterrupted schedule. He's dodged the rough weather and is working every week and marching forward," said Brown, who has captured a wealth of New York graded stakes but not the Wood. "I think this will be his best race based on how much he's moved forward in the mornings. The mile and an eighth should be well within his range. He's looking like he wants more ground."
Owned by St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence, and Glassman Racing and bred by Mike and Pat Freeny, the undefeated winner of both career starts was bought for $475,000 from the Gainesway consignment at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Brown also entered Ottinho in the Wood, but will run the half brother to Gun Runner in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), which had been targeted for Paladin.
The Wood also marks the return to the Big A for grade 1 winner Napoleon Solo. Gold Square's son of Liam's Map registered one of the most dazzling graded stakes wins by a 2-year-old last year when he romped by 6 1/2 lengths in the mile Champagne Stakes (G1) last fall at Aqueduct
After skipping the Breeders' Cup, he made his 3-year-old debut in the Feb. 28 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park and chased the early pace before tiring and finishing fifth by 11 3/4 lengths.
With just 15 qualifying points he'll need a first or second from the 100-50-25-15-10 points awarded to the top five finishers to reach comfortable ground for the Run for the Roses.
"We didn't make any bones about it. We knew he would need the (Fountain of Youth) and I think (jockey Kendrick Carmouche) did the right thing when he realized he wasn't going to be 1-2-3. So on paper it looks worse," trainer Chad Summers said. "We're happy with the way he came out of it and he has two bullets going into the race. We feel we're definitely more ready this time. We understand the situation."
Talk to Me Jimmy comes off a lopsided 11-length win in the Feb. 6 Withers Stakes at the same 1 1/8-mile distance as the Wood. The New York-bred son of Modernist grabbed a quarter in that race but trainer Rudy Rodriguez says it was just a minor setback.
"He really didn't miss much time. He's been doing great," said Rodriguez, who owns the colt along with SEI Thoroughbreds and Michael Imperio. "Everything is going well and we're very happy."
Talk to Me Jimmy has 20 qualifying points and could also use a first or second to keep his Kentucky Derby dreams alive.
"Everyone is in the same boat," Rodriguez said. "We have to see what happens and see if we go to the big fance in Kentucky."
Napoleon Solo drew the rail and Talk to Me Jimmy post 2, and with both colts having sharp early speed, there could be an interesting pace scenario. Especially with Iron Honor figuring to show early speed from the outside post.
"Everybody with speed will be thinking about the same thing. We don't want to worry about anything but ourself. We hope he breaks well and comes out of there good," Rodriguez said.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has won seven of the last 15 runnings of the Wood and will try to tie the legendary Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons with a record eighth victory, sending out Courting.
Whisper Hill Farm, breeder Stonestreet Stables, and Windancer Farm's $5 million Keeneland September purchase was sixth in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) and closed out 2025 with a fourth in the Remsen Stakes (G2), a 1 1/8-mile test at the Big A.
"He's a colt that still has a chance to move forward. He hasn't worked out a great trip in his last couple of races. I think the Remsen was better than it looks like on paper with Paladin and Renegade the first two finishers. I think it was a pretty legit race," Pletcher said about the Curlin full brother to multiple grade 1 winner Clairiere. "So we're hoping he can take a step forward."
Other starters hoping to make a big jump on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard in their final prep are Bravaro (20 points), trainer Bob Baffert's Buetane (16), and Right to Party (15).
Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, April 4, 2026, Race 12Entries: Wood Memorial S. Presented by Resorts World Casino (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Napoleon Solo (KY) Paco Lopez 123 Chad Summers - 2 Talk to Me Jimmy (NY) Ruben Silvera 123 Rudy R. Rodriguez - 3 Right to Party (KY) Christopher Elliott 123 Kenneth G. McPeek - 4 Steel (KY) Sahin Civaci 123 William I. Mott - 5 Ocelli (KY) Joseph D. Ramos 123 D. Whitworth Beckman - 6 Minorinconvenience (NY) Jaime Rodriguez 123 Amelia J. Green - 7 Albus (KY) Jaime A. Torres 123 Riley Mott - 8 Courting (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 123 Todd A. Pletcher - 9 Bravaro (NY) Edwin Gonzalez 123 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. - 10 Red Zone Runner (PA) Mychel J. Sanchez 123 Hugo O. Padilla - 11 Ottinho (KY) Dylan Davis 123 Chad C. Brown - 12 Buetane (KY) Martin Garcia 123 Bob Baffert - 13 Iron Honor (KY) Manuel Franco 123 Chad C. Brown -
