Five runners bred in the Mid-Atlantic region are set to compete in major stakes races at Aqueduct Racetrack this Saturday. With two of them eyeing crucial Kentucky Derby points in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, this talented group highlights the strength of regional breeding programs while competing on a national stage.

Leading the charge in the Wood Memorial, a key stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby, are Passion Rules and Omaha Omaha. Passion Rules, a colt by Friesan Fire bred in Maryland by Mr. and Mrs. Charles McGinnes, is trained by Brad Cox and owned by Calumet Farm. Undefeated in three starts, he makes his stakes debut in this contest.

Omaha Omaha, a Virginia-bred owned and bred by On Your Left Racing, has demonstrated remarkable consistency, finishing in the top three in his last three outings. A top-four finish likely would give him enough Derby points to head to Louisville. Omaha Omaha is 30-1 on the morning line, and Passion Rules is 12-1, and both will have to contend with the race’s morning-line favorite, Rodriguez.

In the Grade 2 Carter Handicap, two Mid-Atlantic-bred geldings, Quint’s Brew and Maximus Meridius, will take on elite sprinters. Quint’s Brew, a Maryland-bred by his owners Paul Berube and Karen Linnell, enters the race off a dominant victory in the General George Stakes. Maximus Meridius, bred in Pennsylvania by Westerly Farm and campaigned by LC Racing and Cash Is King, looks to bounce back after a tough last outing, having already secured stakes victories in the Toboggan and Gravesend over the strip.

Rounding out the day’s lineup is Late Nite Call, a promising filly competing in the Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes. Bred in Virginia by Larry Johnson and trained by Niall Saville, the daughter of Audible broke her maiden in her last start and now steps up to graded stakes competition for the first time.