The $500,000 Grade 2 Wood Memorial, the final New York tune up before the horse racing community turns its eyes to Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby, and the run toward a possible Triple Crown, will be held this Saturday at the Aqueduct race track in Queens.

Aside from the obvious question of which horses will leave New York and head to Kentucky, is the question of whether anyone can beat trainer Bob Baffert, whose Prosperous Bid was to arrive at Aqueduct from Santa Anita early Wednesday morning.

Since Silver Charm won last year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness ¬ narrowly missing a Triple Crown with a loss to Touch Gold in the Belmont¬ the stable overseen by California-based Baffert has been just about unstoppable.

In recent weeks not only did the Charm come back to win the $4 million Dubai World Cup in Saudi Arabia, but Baffert became only the second trainer in history to run first and second in the Santa Anita Derby with Indian Charlie and Real Quiet.

"I got the thumbs up that everything with him was okay this morning," said Baffert after Prosperous Bid's Tuesday workout.

"The only thing I'm concerned about is the size of the field. I told those people in Dubai that California horses are used to running in four- and five-horse fields, and that bigger fields scare them."

Including Prosperous Bid, at least 11, and perhaps as many as 12 other horses are expected to run in the Wood Memorial, with the favorite likely to be Coronado's Quest, a perfect three-for-three over Aqueduct's main track with victories in the graded Cowdin, Nashua, and Remsen Stakes last fall.

"So far so good," said trainer Shug McGaughey, referring to the enigmatic colt's now near-legendary bad behavior.

Also noteworthy are two veterans of the recent Tampa Bay Derby, Parade Ground, who won that race and ran his last workout before the Wood Memorial on Tuesday, and second place winner Middlesex Drive.

"He really seemed to be taking a liking to the track," assistant trainer Mike Zwiesler said after Parade Ground ran a blazing five furlongs on Aqueduct's main track.

"Everything's coming along really good and he's coming into this race just the way [trainer] Neil [Howard] wanted him to."

Eva Jansen, assistant trainer to Phil Hauswald, of Middlesex Drive, described their charge as a slow developer mentally, but more than ready to go.

The field will likely be rounded out by Watch the Bird, Overreactshawn, Vergennes, Basic Trainee, Daniel My Brother, Dice Dancer, Kelly Kip, Thomas Jo, Dr. J, Risky Buy, Visit the Circle, and Rock and Roll.

The Thoroughbreds return to Belmont Park in Elmont on May 13.