With favorite out, Caesars Stakes turns wide open

One consequence of Arlington changing the Secretariat Stakes from 1 1/4 miles to one mile this year: The race now has a nice symbiosis with the $200,000 Caesars Stakes at Indiana Grand.

The Caesars (race 9, post time 5:59 p.m. Eastern) for 3-year-olds co-headlines the Wednesday card with the $200,000 Indiana Grand (race 8, post time 5:31) for 3-year-old fillies. Both races, over one mile on grass, drew large, competitive fields.

Indiana Grand moved turf races to dirt this past Saturday because of rain, and there was a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms Tuesday into Wednesday, so while the course might well be firm, it probably won’t be feet-rattlingly fast.

Gray Magician is the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the Caesars, but he was set to start Monday at Parx Racing as the likely favorite in the Smarty Jones Stakes, and his scratch would likely leave Crafty Daddy as the Indiana Grand chalk. Crafty Daddy is one of four horses exiting the Secretariat, where he finished fourth after contesting a moderate pace, beaten a little more than two lengths by vastly talented winner Valid Point. Also coming out of the Secretariat are Clint Maroon, who was ninth; Faraway Kitten, who finished seventh; and Ry’s the Guy, who was eighth.

Ry’s the Guy turned in a flat performance last out after a sharp Churchill turf-route allowance win over older horses and offers some bounce-back potential at a price Wednesday. Crafty Daddy, one of two entered for trainer Brad Cox along with Firewater Jake (a last-start Arlington allowance winner), has a solid chance but limited upside as a low-value proposition. Faraway Kitten beat Crafty Daddy in the American Derby at Arlington, but after a two-race peak regressed in the Secretariat and is less interesting than some longer prices.

The two most appealing such entrants are Corruze, who’s listed at 30-1 on the morning line, and Spectacular Gem at 20-1.

Corruze caught the eye in two turf-sprint wins last fall and winter before trainer Chris Hartman stretched him out to a mile Feb. 2 in a minor Fair Grounds turf stakes. Corruze came home a one-paced fifth there but can be given one more chance to get a mile. He didn’t start for six months following the Fair Grounds race, and his seventh-place finish Aug. 4 in an Ellis Park turf sprint stakes came with a somewhat troubled trip and a powerhouse gallop-out.

Spectacular Gem surely was prepping for a return to turf in an Aug. 4 Ellis dirt race, his first start since March, and his pair of Fair Grounds turf routes over the winter were solid pieces of form. He was second in the same stakes race Corruze contested, despite a questionable early move before the half-mile pole.

In the Indiana Grand, Winter Sunset is the pick over Boxwood. Winter Sunset has been somewhat disappointing since winning her first two races but twice faced top filly Concrete Rose and following those defeats made two starts over 1 1/8 miles. Winter Sunset didn’t settle ideally in either of those races and failed to produce a late burst, and cutting back to one mile could elevate her performance.

Boxwood returns to turf and cuts back from nine furlongs in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks. She’s won two of three turf starts, including the $100,000 Ginger Brew over one mile, and snugly fits the Indiana Grand.

She’sonthewarpath won the $100,000 Ta Wee Stakes on July 18 in an encouraging performance but steps up in class and drew poorly in post 12.