2026 Wood Memorial: Win, place and trifecta picks from horse racing guru
There are plenty of ways to bet the Wood Memorial 2026, and Jeff Hochman has landed on his top pick and best bets for Saturday's Kentucky Derby prep race
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The last Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack will be held on Saturday when the starting gate opens in the 2026 Wood Memorial in Queens, New York. With Aqueduct set to close permanently later this year, the Wood will move to the newly renovated Belmont Park next year. For Saturday, the Chad Brown-trained Iron Honor has been installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the 2026 Wood Memorial odds. Napoleon Solo (7-2), Talk to Me Jimmy (6-1), Courting (8-1), Bravaro (8-1) and Buetane (8-1) round out the top six choices among the 13 horses in the 2026 Wood Memorial field. Post time for the Wood Memorial 2026 is 6:34 p.m. ET.
Before locking in any 2026 Wood Memorial bets, you NEED to see what longtime horse racing guru Jeff Hochman has to say.
Hochman has shown a profit in 22 of the past 39 Triple Crown races. One example of his best picks was Big Brown in the 2008 Kentucky Derby at odds of 2-1. More recently, he swept the 2022 Triple Crown, capped off by Mo Donegal's easy win in the Belmont Stakes. In 2023, he cashed the Preakness with National Treasure. In 2024, he successfully tabbed Straight No Chaser to win, place and show in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at odds of 3-2.
Hochman delivered exceptional handicapping results during the summer 2025 racing season at two of the country's premier tracks, Saratoga and Del Mar. His combined 65.7% win rate across the two tracks represents elite-level performance that significantly exceeds industry benchmarks for professional handicappers. Join here to see what he's picking for Saturday's Wood Memorial.
While a slew of horses could hit the board in the 2026 Wood Memorial, Hochman has studied the field and revealed his picks.
One surprise: Hochman's top pick is not Iron Honor, even though he is the 5-2 morning-line favorite. "Nine furlongs will suit him well, but I will not back him as the post-time favorite," Hochman says. He prefers two horses over Iron Honor.
Instead, Hochman's top pick is a longshot with a "sustained finishing kick." He also is high on another longshot who could "sweep past tiring rivals late."
You ABSOLUTELY NEED to see which horses they are before making any 2026 Wood Memorial picks of your own.
So which longshot wins the 2026 Wood Memorial? Which other longshot is a must-back? And how has Hochman constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine now to get Jeff Hochman's 2026 Wood Memorial picks, all from the expert who was red-hot at Saratoga and Del Mar last summer!
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