Sunday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Miss J McKay should get right setup in Stewart Manor Stakes
Aqueduct | Race 9 | Post Time 3:50 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs | Not already a TimeformUS member? Sign up
The Stewart Manor drew a large field of 12 runners, but I do think the focus is primarily on the shorter prices. Enola Gay (#5) figures to vie for favoritism off her visually impressive debut performance at Kentucky Downs. Others have run faster than she, but Enola Gay did it the right way and beat two next-out winners in the process. I do think it’s somewhat curious that Shug McGaughey is actually cutting her back in distance rather than stretching out in a race like the Chelsey Flower, which was run last weekend, especially since she’s bred to go longer. Shug’s debut winners often get overbet second time out, so while I respect this one’s talent, I’ll go in a different direction in search of value.
I have no major knocks against the other short price MISS J MCKAY (#10) and I just feel she’s more likely to win. This Maryland-bred filly has run well in all three of her starts, but has especially stepped forward since the switch to turf two back. She was disqualified out of a win in the Colleen, but there’s no doubt she was much the best that day. Then last time she proved she’s capable of rallying from well off the pace, as she made a sweeping move past the quarter pole to open up a large advantage in the blink of an eye. The 102 TimeformUS Speed Figure she earned for that performance stacks up well against this field and Cathal Lynch can win with NYRA shippers, as he proved with El Areeb a few years ago.
The other horse I want to include at a price is Fly So Pretty (#8). This filly overcame a rough trip to win her second start at Saratoga two back and then just didn’t appreciate the mile last time at Kentucky Downs. She’s going to get plenty of pace to close into here and she should appreciate the return to sprinting.
THE PLAY
Win: 10
Exacta Key Box: 10 with 3,5,8
Trifecta: 10 with 3,5,8 with 3,5,8,11