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Second place finisher Samraat picked up 40 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, which when added to the 60 points he had going into the Wood, puts him in fourth place with 100 points.

"Other than win, he got a huge education," said Samraat’s trainer Rick Violette. "As long as he comes out of it all right we'll head to Kentucky. I don't think there's anything he can't do; Jose [Ortiz] can put him anywhere he wants – behind horses, on the inside, wherever. I don't think the extra eighth of a mile is going to bother him."

Social Inclusion, who went into the Wood with zero points, needed to win or place to ensure a berth in the Kentucky Derby, so losing second by a nose may have cost him his Kentucky Derby shot. He picked up 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby for his third-place finish and sits at 22 on the leaderboard.

"It was very good," said Social Inclusion’s trainer Manny Azpurua of the Pioneerof the Nile colt’s effort. "Next time he'll win; he'll kill them."

For Social Inclusion’s owner Ron Sanchez, the loss is particularly devastating. “[The Kentucky Derby] is the dream of my life,” said Sanchez on a national media call last week. “To be there is a goal for me. And I'll be happy if we come first or we come last. It doesn't matter. Once we get in the Derby, we're going to try to win if we get to the Derby, but first we're going to focus on the Wood Memorial and get the points, because if no points, no Derby. That's it.”

Wicked Strong returned $20.40, $7.60, and $4.20. Samraat paid $4.90 and $3.00 and completed the $2 exacta for $100.50. Social Inclusion paid $2.70 and completed the $2 trifecta for $381. Schivarelli finished fourth to complete the $2 superfecta for $4,150. The final time for the 1 1/8 mile race over the fast dirt was 1:49.31.

Photo: Courtesy of NYRA.com/Adam Coglianese