The Woodward Stakes has been won throughout eight decades of racing history by some of the greatest racehorses ever to set hoof on a racetrack as one of the sport’s marquee dirt races. Since the start of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in 1984, the race also has been a key steppingstone to the Breeders’ Cup Classic with five horses completing the Woodward-Classic sweep in the same year: Alysheba (1988), Cigar (1995), Ghostzapper (2004), Saint Liam (2005), and Gun Runner (2017).

The 2024 Woodward Stakes drew a field of five (subsequently reduced to four) aiming to add their name alongside some of the sport’s greatest Thoroughbreds to the history books Saturday at Aqueduct.

1. Skippylongstocking (4-5 morning-line odds): The lone speed in the race, Skippylongstocking has a tactical advantage coming off a dominant, front-running victory in the $1 million Charles Town Classic. The fastest horse in a short field plus a potentially uncontested lead looks like a potent combo.

JOCKEY: Manny Franco; TRAINER: Saffie Joseph Jr.

2. Crupi (2-1): Won the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes in June and has finished in the top three in three other graded stakes in 2024, including a runner-up finish most recently in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes. Deep closer could be hurt by a lack of pace.

JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

3. Tapit Trice (5-2): He’s shown more tactical speed in 2024 and it has helped. Tapit Trice won a Grade 3 at this distance at Monmouth Park in his return from more than 10 months off but took a step back when fading to fourth in the 1 ¼-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup. Eligible to run a big one in his third start off the long layoff.

JOCKEY: Dylan Davis; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

4. Masqueparade (10-1): Looked very good when third by less than a length in the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes in June. Subsequently was beaten by 14 ¾ lengths in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Stakes in July and ran second, 22 ½ lengths behind Next, in the 1 ¾-mile Birdstone Stakes in August. Cutting back in distance to 1 1/8 miles should help. Will it be enough?

JOCKEY: Kendrick Carmouche; TRAINER: Rob Atras

5. Kay Army (SCRATCHED): The undefeated Chilean superstar swept the Chilean Triple Crown in 2023. Would have been an intriguing wild card in the race, but he was scratched shortly after entries were drawn.

JOCKEY: Junior Alvarado; TRAINER: Bill Mott

THE PICK: Skippylongstocking

EXACTA: 1-2