Cup could help decipher Tempted

Clues to handicapping Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct could be found by watching two of Saturday's Breeders' Cup races at Monmouth Park.

Sunday Holiday, who figures to go off second choice behind According to Plan in the one-mile Tempted, comes out of a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont on Oct. 6. The first two finishers from that race, Indian Blessing and Backseat Rhythm, were scheduled to run in Saturday's Juvenile Fillies. Also, in her most recent work, Sunday Holiday dusted stablemate Z Humor in a five-furlong breeze at Belmont. Z Humor was scheduled to run in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

"She just toyed with Z Humor in the morning," Bill Mott, trainer of Sunday Holiday, said. "If works actually mean anything, hers was very good."

Sunday Holiday, a daughter of Sunday Break, won a maiden race at a mile and 70 yards at the Meadowlands by five lengths on Sept. 8. In the Frizette, she broke awkwardly, raced wide down the backstretch, and made a decent run to be third behind the front-running Indian Blessing.

"She doesn't have a lot of speed," Mott said. "She made a nice run."

Sunday Holiday will break from post 6 under Kent Desormeaux, who leaves to ride at Churchill Downs for the fall following Sunday's card.

According to Plan, a sharp debut winner at Belmont in June, returns to the races after recovering from a pinched nerve in her neck during the Saratoga meet. Prior to that, she finished fourth in the Grade 3 Schuylerville after rearing at the start.

"She's a little anxious at the gate," said Robin Smullen, assistant to trainer Barclay Tagg.

According to Plan has worked seven times since Sept. 19, including a strong six-furlong move in 1:14.04 at Belmont on Oct. 19. She blew out three furlongs in 38.68 seconds in the mud at Belmont on Friday.

"We think she's fit again and ready to run," Tagg said.

Trainer Linda Rice has entered Meriwether Jessica right back eight days after finishing second to Expect the End in the Maid of the Mist for New York-breds. Elusive Lady, trained by John Kimmel, comes off a maiden win on Sept. 29 from which the second-place runner, Throbbin' Heart, came back to win a maiden race at Monmouth Park on Friday.

Hope Bay ships up from Maryland after winning a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race at Laurel on Sept. 21. Dagger, third in the Grade 2 Matron at Belmont in September, ships in for owner Bobby Hurley and trainer Jim Ryerson.