Raikkonen going for his third straight win in Magic Millions Rogue Plate

Raikkonen will be a slight favorite to win his stakes debut in Friday’s Group 3 Magic Millions Rogue Plate at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Australia after consecutive wins in a maiden race and a minor handicap in recent weeks.

Trained by Bjorn Baker, Raikkonen has won two of three starts in a career that began with a second-place finish in a maiden race on Nov. 5. Raikkonen beat maidens in a six-furlong maiden race at Canterbury Park on Nov. 20, and won a handicap at 6 1/4 furlongs on the infield Kensington course at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Dec. 6.

In each of his races, Raikkonen has led or raced near the front.

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The $186,700 Rogue Plate drew a full field of 14 Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds and is run at 6 1/2 furlongs. The Rogue Plate will be Raikkonen’s longest start.

Raikkonen, who will be ridden by Chad Schofield, drew the outside post and will be prominent early to secure a position in the one-turn race on a right-handed course. There are not many other runners with the same style, which may help Raikkonen’s chances.

Raikonnen was 3-1 in early betting as of Thursday, a slight choice over Bosustow (7-2) and Catoggio (9-2).

Bosustow has won once in 10 starts, but has stakes experience. He was third in the Group 1 J.J. Atkins Stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile in June. More recently, Bosustow was second by slightly less than half-length to Catoggio in the Springtime Stakes at seven furlongs at Flemington Racecourse on Nov. 5 after racing in traffic in early stretch.

Catoggio won for the second time in the Springtime Stakes, and followed with a third in the Group 3 Blue Sapphire Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse on Nov. 16, in his last start, and the eighth race of his career. Catoggio closed from fourth but was beaten 3 3/4 lengths in the Blue Sapphire.

The Rogue Plate is part of a 10-race program that begins at 9:13 p.m. Eastern or 6:13 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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