Wood Memorial 2015: TV Schedule, Post Positions, Odds, Contenders and More

New York's final major prep for the Kentucky Derby, the 2015 Wood Memorial, offers another strong field despite a major absence. 

The surefire favorite going into the race, Far From Over, will miss the action due to injury, per Bloodhorse, via ESPN.com.

While a notable absence, the injury opens up a competitive field even more for the $1 million stakes with potential spots at Churchill Downs up for grabs. Legendary trainers, proven horses and a smooth track will make for one of the path to the Kentucky Derby's best events.

Last year, Wicked Strong surprised and took home first place. Given the state of the field, this year promises to be just as unpredictable and entertaining.

Where: Aqueduct Racetrack, Ozone Park, Queens, New York

When: Saturday, April 4

Post Time: 5:40 p.m. ET

Watch: NBC Sports Network

2015 Wood Memorial

Post	Horse	Odds
1	Tiz Shea D	8-1
2	Toasting Master	20-1
3	Lieutenant Colonel	15-1
4	Frosted	5-2
5	El Kabeir	3-1
6	Daredevil	9-5
7	Tencendur	12-1

Odds courtesy of Jonathan Lintner of The Courier Journal.

Contenders to Watch

El Kabeir

As far as proven competitors go, it's hard to top El Kabeir Saturday.

Trained by John Terranova, El Kabeir is a winner in three of his last four, with a tough second-place finish at the Withers Stakes—only behind Far From Over.

So far, the chatter out of practice has been nothing short of positive, too.

"The clockers got him galloping out in 1:13 3/5, just as easy as can be," said Terranova, per Jenny Kellner of NYRA.com. "He went great, great. We were really happy. It went perfect, just as we were hoping. He came out great and is cooling out really well."

With strong performances dating back to last August and a top contender out of the picture, El Kabeir is in a position to steal first place and head to the Kentucky Derby.

Frosted

Any horse backed by trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is worth a look, so Frosted is a name to keep an eye on with his handlers deciding the Wood Memorial offers the three-year-old colt the best chance for a win before the Kentucky Derby.

Recent finishes don't bode so well, sure. Frosted came in second in the Holy Bull Stakes, then fourth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes.

The thing is, the fourth-place finish was Frosted's first foray with blinkers, and he tired down the stretch, two issues McLaughlin figures to have ironed out by the time the gates open.

Even better, Frosted is already familiar with Aqueduct considering he finished in second place there as a two-year-old.

A flurry of factors make Frosted a strong bet Saturday, even if recent history doesn't look as inviting as it could.

Daredevil

Like McLaughlin, it's important to watch out for those Todd Pletcher-trained horses.

Saturday's name to watch is Daredevil, a WinStar Farm-owned colt with a second-place finish or better in three of his four showings.

So far, so good for one of Wood Memorial's favorites, too, as Pletcher's assistant, Byron Hughes, told Sean Morris of NYRA.com:

"

I thought he did it very well. He looked good doing it, went very easily, and galloped out strong; we're definitely happy with the work. It didn't start out as planned [with Daredevil breaking a few lengths in front of his mate], but the rider adapted and had a good hold of him.

"

The son of More Than Ready, Daredevil seems to be finding a stride at just the right time for Pletcher, who lost the aforementioned Far From Over for Saturday's affair.

With a strong initial burst out of the sixth slot, Daredevil is one of the safest bets in New York this weekend in what is a rather unpredictable field.