Litfin's preview: 3-year-olds battle in Discovery

Showery forecast

A forecast for chilly northeasterly winds and a 60 percent chance of showers means handicappers may have to adjust on the fly through Saturday’s nine-race card, which gets started at 1 p.m. Eastern.

First post reverts back to 12:20 p.m. Sunday, following the switch back to standard time.

Three races are scheduled for the grass at 1 1/16 miles – the first, third and fifth. In the event of a switch to the main track, all three would shorten up to a flat mile out of the chute.

Last stakes chance for 3-year-olds

Three-year-old males in New York get their last graded stakes shot against their own age group in the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap (race 8), in which Bay of Plenty and Three Alarm Fire are expected to vie for favoritism going once around the main track at 1 1/8 miles.

Bay of Plenty has swept his three starts in New York by better than 19 lengths, while Three Alarm Fire comes off two decisive scores, the latest earning a 103 Beyer. Both will make their stakes debuts against the more seasoned Noble Moon, who is not to be taken lightly after rallying mildly to finish fourth against the grain of a speed-favoring track in the Pennsylvania Derby.

Away Game comes off a no-show performance in the Oklahoma Derby but has a chance to rebound back in New York, where he has won his last three two-turn dirt starts, including a maiden win on this track at the spring meet and two allowance victories at Saratoga.

Horse to watch

EXPRESSION
Trainer: Charlie Baker
Last race: Oct. 30, 7th
Finish: 2nd by neck
Beyer: 78

After a flash of speed when returning from a layoff at Belmont, she reverted to her more familiar off-the-pace tactics and was rapidly gaining on the loose-on-the-lead winner in the late stages of a $62,500 optional-claiming sprint; all six wins have come at Aqueduct, including five on the inner dirt.