Red Smith a wide-open contest

The Grade 3 Red Smith at Aqueduct on Saturday attracted all the usual suspects. The 10-horse field includes three from Maker, two from Todd, and one apiece from Shug and Chad. The foursome have won six of the last nine editions of the turf marathon and seven overall.

The $200,000 race – the richest in the country Saturday – will be run over less-than-firm ground at 1 3/8 miles. In addition to those in the body of the field, three also-eligibles are signed up and three main-track-only entrants are eagerly standing by.

It’s been a soggy November, but hopefully the Smith stays on the turf. It’s an extremely wide-open race, worthy of its purse, but would change dramatically if moved to dirt. If that happens, the main-track-only entrants, including Exulting and Adulator, who ran last week, become top contenders.

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Shug McGaughey, who won three straight Smiths from 2011-13 – with Boisterous twice and Imagining – will stretch out Inspector Lynley a quarter-mile farther than he has ever raced.

The plan just might work. Inspector Lynley has always given the impression he could run all day, and he has been dropping too far back for his own good recently.

“I hope they keep it on the turf because he’ll run on yielding,” McGaughey said. “I’m not concerned about the mile and three-eighths. I’m hoping it will help him.”

Jose Lezcano, who won the restricted Lure Stakes at Saratoga on Inspector Lynley, gets back aboard.

“I think the longer distance will let Jose put him into the race a little,” McGaughey said.

Mike Maker has entered the trio of Bigger Picture, Zulu Alpha, and Soglio. Maker won the Smith in 2016 with Bigger Picture.

Now 7, late-running Bigger Picture is 1 for 8 this year. But don’t give up on the 36-race veteran, his third in the Grade 1 United Nations was very good, as was his runner-up effort in the $746,000 Kentucky Turf Cup and his fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Bowling Green.

Zulu Alpha, whom owner Michael Hui and trainer John Ortiz claimed for $80,000 in September, has been transferred to Maker. In his lone race for Ortiz, Zulu Alpha came from just off the pace to win the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland, making he and Hui a perfect 1 for 1 together. Maker and Hui have teamed to win 40 races over the years.

Soglio is in good form and comes into the Smith off a second-level optional-claiming win at Keeneland.

Chad Brown scored the fourth graded win of his career with Expansion in the 2009 Smith. He won the race again in 2015 with Mr Maybe. For Saturday, he has entered the New York-bred Call Provision, who finished a close second to Spring Quality in the 2017 Smith.

Call Provision, 7 for 19 in his career, loves the Aqueduct course, over which he is 3 for 4. He also has a terrific record at 1 3/8 miles – 4-3-0 from eight starts. If the pace is realistic, he’s a major player.

Todd Pletcher, who won the 2003 Smith with Balto Star, has entered the South American-bred and -raced duo of Village King and Galope Americano. Neither has raced beyond 1 1/16 miles in the United States, and both should appreciate the added real estate.