Picks and Previews for Saturday’s Stakes Racing

 

To guide you through Saturday’s nine graded stakes races here are post-times, previews, and picks.

1:24pm ET – The Comely (G3) $400,000 – three-year-old fillies - Aqueduct – a mile and an eighth - Race 4 – This race stars a celebrity chef and the undefeated filly that he owns. Bobby Flay bought Dame Dorothy for $390,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale in 2012. This PA-bred daughter of Bernardini won the Turnback the Alarm Handicap (G3) at Belmont. She broke her maiden at AQU on this same card a year ago.

PICK - I think that Dame Dorothy is a very good horse. This daughter of Bernardini should keep things cooking and win her fifth consecutive race for owner and celebrity chef, Bobby Flay.

3:19pm ET - The Demoiselle (G2) $400,000 – two-year-old fillies – Aqueduct – a mile and an eighth – Race 8 – The Demoiselle has a field of eight that features grade one winners Angela Renee and Condo Commando and two unbeaten runners in New York-bred Quezon and the Tempted (G3) winner, Jacaranda.

PICK - There should be a contested early pace, and with Angela Renee as a clear-cut favorite, I will go with the morning line [4-1] third choice, Gap Year. The other Kiaran McLaughlin runner in here has the right running style and I like the rider change to Irad Ortiz.

3:48pm ET - The Remsen (G2) $400,000 – two-year-olds – Aqueduct – a mile and an eighth – Race 8 – Fourteen juveniles are scheduled to run in The Remsen, which last year ended in a great finish between Honor Code and Cairo Prince. This wide-open Road to the Kentucky Derby event has two runners each from Kiaran McLaughlin, Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown, and Dale Romans. My HorseCenter partner, Brian Zipse, likes the longshot Eh Cumpari.

PICK - I will try and pick a winner out of this field of 14 in which only one horse has a win beyond the maiden ranks. Classy Class makes his second start for Kiaran McLaughlin after an impressive first-time win at Belmont Park at odds of 3.65-1. He will be in good position to make an outside run after breaking from the 11 hole.

4:17pm ET - The Cigar Mile (G1) $500,000 – Aqueduct – Race 10 – This incentivized race has Secret Circle and Regally Ready running for a $1,000,000 purse as winners of a Breeders’ Cup race and Itsmyluckyday and Private Zone eligible for $750,000 as grade one winners. The field of nine includes the second, third, and fourth place finishers from this year’s BC Sprint. Will those three be able come back from such a tough race? Don’t forget Vyjack who was so impressive in the Kelso Mile and has three wins in four career efforts on the Aqueduct main track.

PICK - This is quite a talented field of nine. I am going to take the 8-1 odds and Vyjack and look for this Rudy Rodriguez runner to make his closing move to win it right at the wire.

4:30pm ET - Native Diver Stakes (G3) $200,000 – three-year-olds and up - Del Mar – a mile and eighth – Race 3 – Three-year-old Tamarando takes on six older horses in the Native Diver. This Jerry Hollendorfer trained son of Bertrando returns to artificial racing surfaces where he has won four of eight starts including the 2013 Del Mar Futurity (G1).

PICK - A hot pace should set things up for Tamarando’s closing move in his second race back after a long layoff.

4:35pm ET - Golden Rod Stakes (G2) $200,000 – two-year-old fillies – Churchill Downs – a mile and a sixteenth – Race 9 – A full field of 12 has been assembled for this early Kentucky Oaks qualifier. Cristina’s Journey is the 3-1 morning line favorite, for Dale Romans, based on her September win in the Pocahontas (G2) at Churchill.

PICK - West Coast Belle looks to stay unbeaten for trainer Wayne Catalano in this field of 12. This daughter of Tapit looked very good winning an overnight stake at Churchill just a few weeks ago.

5:35pm ET - Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) $200,000 – two-year-olds – Churchill Downs – a mile and a sixteenth – Race 11 – This is a [10-4-2-1] Road to the Kentucky Derby race that has drawn a field of 12 juveniles. The morning line favorite, Lord Nelson, from the west coast and Bob Baffert will face two turf graded stakes winners.

PICK - I’m hoping to beat the favorites here as Lucky Player looks to rebound on his home track after doing very little running in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

6:00pm ET - Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3) $150,000 – two-year-old fillies – Del Mar – one mile TURF – Race 6 – A field of 11 juvenile fillies take to the grass at Del Mar.  Only three of these girls have won a race beyond the maiden level. Graham Motion has grade three winner Rainha Da Bateria coming back after the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf.

PICK - I loved Rainha Da Bateria in the Breeders Cup and I have a huge hole in my wallet to prove it and I like her here. She did not do a lot of running at Santa Anita so no worries about the BC bounce.

7:00pm ET -  (G1) $300,000 – three-year-olds – Del Mar – a mile and an eighth TURF – Race 8 – California Chrome makes his turf debut against five others.  Trainer Mark Casse has decided that the filly Lexie Lou will take on the boys here. Chrome will be making his ninth start in 2014 as he tries to get his first win since the Preakness in May.

PICK - California Chrome will return to the winner’s circle in the Hollywood Derby and wrap-up the three-year-old championship with the victory.