Trainer Chad Stewart saddles Bonita (#8, ML 12-1) in Saturday's 10th race at Gulfstream Park West, the one-mile Hut Hut Stakes. Since Jan., 1, 2014, Stewart is winning at a 30 percent clip when saddling a horse coming off a win, for a return on investment of $5.13. Check out the Positive ROI report as part of DRF Plus. Sign up for DRF Plus here. Sign up for DRF Plus here.
The late pick four at Aqueduct, which features the Grade 1 Cigar Mile and the Grade 3 Comely, was greatly affected by key scratches in race 8 but is still worth a shot.
The second Stars of Tomorrow day of the fall meet goes Saturday – an all-2-year-old card that offers deep fields and an added wrinkle of the likelihood of an off track with rain in the forecast. I’m most intrigued by a pick three over the second half of the day, one focusing on DOTHRAKI QUEEN in the Golden Rod and then spreading a few horses deep in the two legs of the wager that surround it
Driver Yannick Gingras insisted on having the lead in the $120,000 Courageous Lady for 3-year-old pacing fillies and that proved to be the winning decision. Once in control, Sassa Hanover never looked back while setting a track record over a sloppy Northfield Park surface on Friday night.
Derick Giwner's analysis of the Sunday, November 29 card at Yonkers Raceway.
Royal Lion roared from off the pace for a 5 1/4-length win over Mr. N in the $75,000 Don McNeill on Friday at Remington Park. The race was one of two stakes on the card, both restricted to 2-year-olds bred in Oklahoma. Go No Go accounted for the $75,000 Slide Slow.
Victor Espinoza makes a good dance partner. Maybe not the very best on “Dancing with the Stars,” where his mirthful run lasted just a handful of episodes, but certainly with Midnight Storm, with whom he tripped the light fantastic Saturday at Del Mar in the Grade 2, $250,000 Seabiscuit Handicap when riding the horse in a race for the first time.
With no American Pharoah to oppose him, Effinex took the spotlight for himself Friday with a hard-fought victory over Hoppertunity in the Grade 1, $500,000 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Brad Cox long has had a reputation as a skilled claiming trainer, adept at spotting talent and improving acquired horses. But now he’s carving out another niche as a successful stakes conditioner, even if the stakes horses happen to be those he claimed.
The early double on closing-day Sunday at Del Mar features a couple of horses I’m very intrigued by. I’ll play the early double as well as the juvenile stakes race in the middle of the card, the Cecil B. DeMille.
