As three-year-old horses jockey, so to speak, for position to make the field in next month's Kentucky Derby, one of the races many will be keeping their eye on will be Saturday's Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct. Although Gemologist is the favorite as of Saturday morning (8/5) with Alpha (5/2) just behind, not all racing experts agree on who will wind up in the winner's circle.
SB Nation's resident racing expert, Matt Gardner, believes that the favorite has the odds for a reason:
It's all about Gemologist in this year's Wood. Assuming he gets away from the gate cleanly, he should be able to sit in a perfect stalking position off of The Lumber Guy through the first six furlongs. If he maintains the form he displayed in his season debut at Gulfstream in mid-March, it's unlikely any of the horses in this field will be able to run him down in the stretch.
However, over at SB Nation's horse racing blog, And Down the Stretch They Come, J.P. Fanshawe thinks Street Life, who opened on Saturday with 4-1 odds, will pull off the upset. No word yet on Thug Life, who hasn't been the same since '97.
For updates and info on all of horse racing, be sure to check out And Down the Stretch They Come.