OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The New York-breds Rinaldi and Therapist jump into open company and are top contenders in Saturday’s $100,000 Artie Schiller Stakes, scheduled for one mile over Aqueduct’s inner turf course. On paper, Rinaldi, a 4-year-old gelding by Posse, looms the controlling speed in what would be a field of nine turf runners. Therapist, a 5-year-old gelding by Freud, does his best running from off the pace. Rinaldi used front-running tactics to win the West Point Stakes for statebreds at Saratoga on Sept. 4 in a race where Therapist finished third. In the Mohawk at Belmont on Oct. 24, Rinaldi was outfooted for the lead by Somelikeithotbrown, who went on to a gate-to-wire victory while Rinaldi chased from second and retreated to last in a field of six under Luis Saez. “The bottom line, speed is his game,” said James Bond, the trainer of Rinaldi. “I think Luis made a tactical error. We might not have won, but I don’t think you change your strategy.” With Saez taking time off, Nik Juarez rides Rinaldi from post 2. After finishing third to Rinaldi in the West Point, Therapist rallied to run second to Somelikeithotbrown in the Mohawk, earning a career-best 102 Beyer. Therapist’s lone win from four starts this year came in the First Defence Stakes, a seven-furlong race at Belmont on June 7, where he narrowly beat Majestic Dunhill, recent winner of the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont on dirt. “He’s a bit more consistent this year than before,” said Christophe Clement, the trainer of Therapist. “I’m running him back a little bit quick this weekend. We don’t have a choice.” :: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program. Therapist will break from the outside post under Javier Castellano. Valid Point began his career with three consecutive wins, including the Grade 1 Secretariat at Arlington Park in August 2019. He has finished last or next to last in all three of his starts this year, though one came in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga and another came in the Salvator Mile in a dirt experiment gone awry. Valid Point is trained by Chad Brown, who also sends out Delaware, a Group 3 winner in France as a 3-year-old who is 0 for 3 in the U.S. this year. Hembree is winless in his last 14 starts, but his late run has landed him in the trifecta in 22 of 38 starts. He is being ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, who with his only ride on this horse guided him to victory in a one-mile allowance race in 2018 at Belmont. Carmouche and Hembree won at 14-1 after attending a hot pace in that race. Ballagh Rocks a winner of two straight, goes out first off the claim for Luis Miranda. Hawkish was second in the Oceanport Stakes two back, but finished last in the Tapit at Kentucky Downs with blinkers added. Those blinkers come off Saturday. Clear Vision, a first-time gelding by Artie Schiller, and Ninety One Assault, second in the Henry Clark Stakes last out, complete the field on turf. Backsideofthemoon, Sea Foam, Chilly in Charge, and Compound It are entered to run only if the race is transferred to the dirt. Eagle Orb turns back Eagle Orb won his debut going six furlongs and makes his first start at the distance since in Saturday’s $100,000 Notebook Stakes for New York-bred 2-year-olds. Eagle Orb has run three times since his maiden score, with two seconds and a fourth. The fourth came in the Bertram F. Bongard when he was the 4-5 favorite. “I was disappointed when he finished fourth,” trainer Rudy Rodriguez said. “He was training very, very good and he ran horrible. Last time we put blinkers on him and he ran the best he could. I was just trying to look for an answer.” Last time was the Sleepy Hollow, in which he set the pace before being run down by Brooklyn Strong. He finished 2 1/4 lengths clear of the rest. Manny Franco rides Eagle Orb from post 4. Trainer Mike Maker sends out the uncoupled entry of Blue Gator and Lookin for Trouble. Blue Gator, a son of Liam’s Map, is 2 for 2, including a 4 1/2-length victory in the New York Breeders’ Futurity where he upset the multiple stakes winner Thin White Duke. Blue Gator has drawn the outside post for the third consecutive race, which should give Carmouche the ability to see how the race sets up inside of him. Lookin for Trouble finished a length behind Eagle Orb when the two were second and third behind Thin White Duke in the Funny Cide Stakes at Saratoga. Most recently, he finished second to Hold the Salsa in the Bertram F. Bongard Stakes. Storm Shooter, Market Alert, Half Right, and Horn of Plenty complete the Notebook field. With 10 races Saturday, first post is 11:50 a.m.