Crist: Shuvee analysis

The Shuvee Handicap, once a Grade 1 at Belmont that drew champions such as Lady’s Secret and Personal Ensign, now is a Grade 3 at Saratoga that serves as a prep for the Grade 1 Personal Ensign the day before the Travers over the same track and nine-furlong distance..

It’s a decent field for the level, with four of the seven entrants already Grade 2/Grade 3 stakes winners. The likely favorite is not among them, but Antipathy deserves to be the betting choice off her terrific third in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on Belmont Stakes Day. Hustled into the toughest older-female field of the year, she was 30-1 but was beaten just a head and a neck by Clear Hatches and Princess of Sylmar. A repeat of that effort puts her into the winner’s circle.

Flashy American, the 5-2 second choice, is a four-time stakes winner, including the Grade 3 Sixty Sails three starts back. She’s steady and consistent and figuresto get a nice trip just off the early speed of Antipathy and Swingers Party.

Stanwyck is not impossible but looks like an underlay at 3-1. She appears to be taking a big class drop here, coming out of the Grade 1 Apple Blossom and Grade 1 Santa Margarita, but she flattened out late against small fields in both races. Her lone stakes victory was a 21-1 upset four starts back.

The others look overmatched but Ambusher at 15-1 has some possibilities for at least a minor award at a big price. She ran the best race of her life last time out when she was stretched to a mile and an eighth for the first time and could be a whole new horse as a dirt router.