Illman: How I'd play Aqueduct for Saturday, Dec. 13

Saturday's featured race at Aqueduct is the $100,000 Queens County Stakes at nine furlongs over the inner track.

VYJACK (5) looms the likely favorite as he takes a substantial drop in class following six consecutive graded stakes races. Also, Vyjack paved his way on the 2013 Triple Crown trail with victories in the Grade 2 Jerome Stakes and Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, both around two turns on the inner track. He has a strong affinity for this surface.

While Vyjack is probably the most talented horse in the race, he still has some questions to answer and could be vulnerable at a short price. After failed runs in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Haskell Invitational, he returned from an illness-induced lengthy layoff repackaged as a sprinter/miler. He is 0 for 5 when traveling longer than 1 1/16 miles, and today's distance might be pushing it just a bit.

It's also fair to wonder if Vyjack has a strong speed-figure edge on this field. His lone triple-digit Beyer, a 103 when winning the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap two starts back, was earned thanks to an absolutely dream trip, stalking three dueling leaders. His usual race this year falls in the low-90 range.

STORMIN MONARCHO (6), on the other hand, boasts five 100-plus Beyers this year for trainer David Jacobson. He is in razor-sharp form, with three wins in his last four starts and two victories in the last four weeks. While he might be more effective at slightly shorter distances, he conquered 1 1/8 miles two back at Laurel. He has enough tactical speed to stay close to a moderate pace and should be in strong contention when the field swings into the stretch.

Stormin Monarcho is 3-1 on the morning line, and I'd play him at that price. If you're trying to edge Vyjack out of the exotics, you may want to also consider MISCONNECT (1), a lightly raced 3-year-old with some upside potential, and DON DULCE (4), a veteran who likes this distance and course.

SPARTIATIS looks like a live longshot in today's seventh race, an entry-level allowance at six furlongs. His form is dirtied up by turf and wet-track races. When confronted with a fast dirt track, he's okay, and he should get a good pace with CHAPMAN (4) and DUVAL (7) knocking heads early.

Spartiatis repeats the route-to-sprint angle that resulted in his lone victory, also over the inner track. He is 0 for 7 lifetime on turf, so it's safe to draw a line through his last race. Two back, he raced on the rail throughout on a day when outside paths seemed best. Before that, it was sloppy track, muddy track, turf, sloppy track.

His speed figure from that dead-rail effort isn't too far off the top contenders, and he is worth considering at anything resembling his 12-1 morning line. I'll play Spartiatis to win and will use him with OLTRE' ORO (8), a 3-year-old who broke through with a victory as a first-time gelding Nov. 6, and the Chad Brown-trained WAR HERO (3).

SKIDMORE (10) could get the right setup in today's sixth race, a maiden special weight for fillies and mares at six furlongs. WUNDAHOWIGOTHERE (3) received a whopping 103 Moss Pace Rating for the first call of her most recent start, her first race in almost a year, but she might face a bit of pressure from CAT TEN (4) and D'KENNESAW CAT (9).

If there is some hitting, look for Skidmore to benefit. This will be her first start for the Linda Rice barn and her third effort following a short layoff. She was completely outsprinted by Wundahowigothere last time after being bumped twice at the start but came with a solid run after that one understandably faltered from her early efforts. She might need to be a bit closer to the pace this time as the distance is on the short side for her, but it appears as if she's trending the right way.

Skidmore is 5-1 on the morning line. I'll play her to win and will use her in multiple-race wagers with Wundahowigothere and, to a lesser extent, D'Kennesaw Cat.

I have a feeling that OCEAN KNIGHT (4) will be bet hard for his debut in the second race, a six-furlong maiden special weight for juveniles. A son of debut winner Ocean Goddess, Ocean Knight sold for $320,000 earlier in the year, boasts a recent bullet workout, and goes out for a top-notch trainer-jockey combination in Kiaran McLaughlin and Irad Ortiz Jr.

There is seemingly plenty to like about Ocean Knight, but there are some gaps in the work tab, and one would think that McLaughlin's best babies would winter at Gulfstream Park.

Instead, I'll side with an experienced runner, SARATOGA WILDCAT (2). He has a bit of pedigree (third dam is multiple Grade 1 turf winner Possibly Perfect), a bit of speed, and he could be the one to catch from his inside post. He caught a very tough field in his debut (three next-out winners) and improved drastically last time with the addition of blinkers. He's still a little green, but I like the rider switch to Jose Ortiz. If the bettors go nutso with Ocean Knight, I'll take Saratoga Wildcat.