There are three stakes on the national simulcast schedule, and those will comprise our plays on this tackle football Sunday: we have two in New York, both on turf, which will be firm; and one on dirt at Del Mar, where the main track will be fast. Let’s go.
Aqueduct, Race 4, 1:46 pm ET
Grade 3 Long Island Stakes, 1 ⅜ miles, Turf, Fillies & Mares 3 & Up
Seven older filly and mare turf runners go in the Lawn Guyland. We are against the favorite, 2-Vergara, who makes sense on paper, but who will be overbet, and therefore is a play-against. Instead, we are turning to second choice 3-Atomic Blonde, who faced much tougher in her last two starts, both of which were at Woodbine, and both of which were at shorter distances. We move her up partly due to the fact that she is getting class relief, but mostly because we think she should improve going a bit longer. We will bet her to win at 3-1. The bet: Aqueduct, Race 4, $40 to win on 3-Atomic Blonde.
Aqueduct, Race 8, 3:42 pm ET
$75,000 Artie Schiller Stakes, 1 mile, Turf, 3 & Up
A good field of nine lines up for the Artie Schiller. The pick is 1-Pioneering Spirit, in whose past performances is something we don’t see very much: He comes off an utterly meaningless 15¾ length win. It was the Knickerbocker Stakes, at the Big A on October 15, and because rain washed it off the turf and onto the main track, he beat only one other horse that day. It was a decent workout, but not anything more than that. Today we look for Pioneering Spirit to recapture the form he showed at Saratoga on Labor Day weekend, when he was very good winning the Bernard Baruch Stakes with a strong closing move. We see a similar result today, and will bet him to win at 7/2 odds. The bet: Aqueduct, Race 8, $40 to win on 1-Pioneering Spirit.
Del Mar, Race 8, 7:00 pm ET
$100,000 Betty Grable Stakes, 7 furlongs, Dirt, California-bred Fillies & Mares 3 & Up
Fillies and mares bred in the Golden State, eight of them, line up for the Betty Grable Stakes at Del Mar. We see a quick early pace, which should result in a race shape that plays right into the hooves of 8-Rose Dawson, who should get a dream trip from her wide post, sitting just behind, and outside, the early leaders, pouncing when they begin to tire in the race’s latter stages. She makes the most sense from a cold handicapping perspective, but there is also some romance here: shouldn’t a race named after an iconic Tinseltown star be won by a 4-year-old filly named after a character in a laughably bad Hollywood movie? We will bet Rose Dawson to win at 3-1. The bet: Del Mar, Race 8, $40 to win on 8-Rose Dawson.
That’s all for today. Until the next time, enjoy the racing, be safe, and, as always, good luck at the windows.