Captain Cook heads a dozen in Wood Memorial; Ballerina d'Oro tops eight in Gazelle

A convincing winner of the Withers, Captain Cook will look to certify himself as a serious Kentucky Derby (G1) contender when lining up for Saturday’s $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct. Captain Cook and Sand Devil are the lone stakes winners among a dozen three-year-olds in the Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series event, a major qualifier awarding points on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis to the top five finishers.

Captain Cook was purchased last fall after his first start, selling for $410,000 at the Keeneland November sale, and earned his first career win for new trainer Rick Dutrow in a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Aqueduct in late December, romping by 9 1/4 lengths over a sloppy track. He stretched to two turns with gusto in the 1 1/8-mile Withers on Feb. 1, rallying from just off the pace to win by more than two lengths, and received an excellent 100 Brisnet Speed rating.

The Practical Joke colt appears to be training forwardly in preparation, recording a recent bullet half-mile drill, and Captain Cook retains the services of Manny Franco. He’s been installed as the 7-2 second choice on oddsmaker David Aragona’s morning line.

Rodriguez invades from the West Coast for six-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert and has been pegged as the 5-2 morning line favorite with new jockey Mike Smith. A smashing maiden winner three back, the dark bay son of Authentic followed with a pair of non-threatening placings to highly regarded rivals, finishing second to Citizen Bull in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) and third behind Journalism and Barnes in the San Felipe (G2). Rodriguez gets blinkers off, but he still figures to be forwardly placed from his innermost post.

Hill Road comes next at 9-2 after finishing third in his 2024 comebacker, the Tampa Bay Derby (G3). A rallying third when making his dirt debut in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), the Quality Road colt was transferred to Chad Brown afterward and brings a late-running style to the Wood. Joel Rosario picks up the assignment.

Perfect from two starts, Grande rates as a win contender for Todd Pletcher in his first stakes attempt. The son of Curlin exits a sharp allowance win over nine furlongs at Gulfstream Park, and the dark bay colt promises to be part of the pace with an early run style. Dylan Davis takes over the reins on the early 5-1 shot.

Other runners of interest include Gotham (G3) runner-up Sand Devil; Passion Rules, who will make his stakes debut for Brad Cox after winning his first three starts at Fair Grounds and Oaklawn Park; and Omaha Omaha, third in the Virginia Derby and Withers in his last two outings.

Early in the program, Ballerina d’Oro will be the one to beat among eight fillies in the $200,000 Gazelle (G3). The 1 1/8-mile race is a 200-point qualifier in the Road to the Kentucky Oaks Challenge series (100-50-25-15-10 scale), and Ballerina d’Oro showed an affinity for Aqueduct when finishing a close second in the Demoiselle (G2) last December.

The Demoiselle marked her first dirt start and Ballerina d’Oro returned this year in the Davona Dale (G2) over a one-turn mile at Gulfstream, rallying for third. She figures to appreciate the stretch back out to two turns, and Davis retakes the mount for three-time Gazelle winner Chad Brown.

Vanilla Sundae will jump to stakes competition for Pletcher off a 15 3/4-length maiden win at Aqueduct in late February. Other rivals include Virginia Oaks runner-up Early On; Deloraine, who switches back to the main track off a third in the Florida Oaks (G3); and Demoiselle third Liam in the Dust, who will try to rebound after failing to fire off a layoff in last month’s Busher.