Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial, Aqueduct, 1 1/8 miles, April 5, 2014. 100 Derby qualifying points for a win, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth. A trio of previously unbeaten horses – Samraat, Social Inclusion, and Shivarelli -  finished second, third, and fourth in this important Kentucky Derby prep race, while the winner Wicked Strong rallied past all three to score his first victory since a maiden win at Belmont last October. The performance earned Wicked Strong $590,000 and 100 Derby qualifying points for a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby on May 3. [ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays] Social Inclusion, bet down to 8-5 odds based on his sensational 10-length, track-record score over highly regarded Honor Code in a Gulfstream Park allowance race March 12, probably needed a second-place finish to guarantee his spot in the Derby field. While he turned in an adventurous, very promising performance, he lost second by a nose to previously undefeated Samraat and left the race with only 20 Derby qualifying points. Barring several defections, 20 points is unlikely to be enough to make the Derby starting field. As such, his connections said Saturday evening they still hope to get in, but will be ready to shift gears and point for the 1 3/16-mile Preakness at Pimlico on May 17. Making only his third lifetime start and hampered somewhat by his outside post in the 10-horse field, Social Inclusion was forced to expend needed energy while wide in his attempt to wrest the early lead from eventual fourth-place finisher Schivarelli.  With Social Inclusion on the outside and Shivarelli on the rail, the pair went the quarter in 23.79 seconds and the half in 47.47, before Social Inclusion emerged with a short lead approaching six furlongs in 1:11.16. Going around the far turn heading to the stretch, Social Inclusion opened up a bit on the field under minimal encouragement from jockey Luis Contreras. Approaching the final furlong, Social Inclusion still had a 1 ½-length advantage on his closest pursuers, which included Samraat, Schivarelli, and the emerging Wicked Strong. Samraat, always in good striking position while between horses on the backstretch, appeared the most serious threat, as he gradually closed in on the leader, who began to weaken slightly leaving the furlong pole. But it was Wicked Strong who had saved ground through much of the race and came out from mid-pack to the middle of the track in the upper stretch to rally past the leading trio to win going away by 3 1/2 lengths. Game as usual,  Samraat kept to his task while clearly defeated for the first time in this, his sixth start, to grittily catch Social Inclusion on the wire for second. Both horses finished about 1 1/2 lengths clear of the tiring Schivarelli. Prior to the Wood, Wicked Strong had been a good third to Honor Code and Cairo Prince in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes over this track and distance last fall. But he had not delivered a similar performance in his two starts this year at Gulfstream and went to the post as a 9-1 shot. He had, however, hinted at some improvement when fourth to Constitution in a 1 1/16-mile allowance route on Feb. 22. That effort took on extra meaning when the lightly raced Constitution came back last week to win the Florida Derby. (please see my Florida Derby analysis in DRF’s special Kentucky Derby section) In his return to Aqueduct for this race, Wicked Strong not only was sharp, but under smart handling by jockey Rajiv Maragh, the son of Hard Spun took full advantage of the contested pace to rally from about four lengths back at the quarter pole to win going away in 1:49.31 for a solid 104 Beyer Speed Figure. Trainer Jimmy Jerkens obviously did a great job getting his colt back to top form. But of equal import, Wicked Strong now will go on to Louisville as one of very few Derby contenders with a good finishing kick. Otherwise, there was nothing positive to report on the performances turned in by Jerome Stakes winner Noble Moon, who finished sixth while racing with a bar shoe to protect a hoof that had interrupted his training; or seventh-place finisher Kristo, who was bothered after the start, made a move on the backstretch but faltered badly thereafter and needs shorter races; eighth-place finisher Effinex, who was reluctant to load, but  never made a move; ninth- and 10th-place finishers,  Harpoon and  Los Barachos, who were within five lengths early, but faded badly. Only fifth-place finisher Uncle Sigh had a legitimate excuse, getting off slowly, nullifying his usual speed, while closing some ground late for his mid-pack finish.