Verstappen comes in fresh for competitive Red Smith

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In a wildly competitive overflow field, a fresh Verstappen will look to return to his early-season form in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Red Smith Stakes scheduled for 1 3/8 miles on turf at Aqueduct.

Verstappen, a 4-year-old gelding trained by Brendan Walsh, won two of his first three starts this year, including the Grade 2 Elkhorn at Keeneland in April. He went winless in his last four starts, though he caught a paceless race when second to Channel Maker in the Grade 2 Bowling Green at Saratoga and may have been a bit tired from his seven-race campaign when fifth in the Kentucky Downs Turf Cup on Sept. 9.

“He didn’t get beat that far that day and we freshened him up after that,” Walsh said. “He’s been training good and if he runs back to his form from earlier in the year, I think he’s got as good a chance as anybody.”

Declan Cannon is in to ride from post 10.

Soldier Rising has earned more than $1.2 million in his career but has yet to win a stakes from 13 tries. Amazingly, he finished second in all four of the Grade 1 marathon turf stakes offered on this circuit – the Man o’ War, Manhattan, Sword Dancer, and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic – this year.

Soldier Rising finished third in this race in 2021 and ninth last year. He should get a solid pace to close into but will likely have to navigate his way through a full field. Fifteen were entered for the turf, 12 will be permitted to start.

Red Run will scratch from the Red Smith to run in Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 River City at Churchill Downs. That would allow Classic Catch in the Red Smith.

“The positive is you’ve got plenty of pace and the horse is doing great, the negative is you’ve got a lot of horses,” said Christophe Clement, trainer of Solider Rising. “Jose Ortiz is going to ride, he has got to work it out.”

Nineeleventurbo, trained by Neil Drysdale, may not be part of the pace, but he should get first run on the closers under Joel Rosario. Nineeleventurbo has stepped up his game since being stretched out in distance, sandwiching two allowance wins around a second in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap.

The Red Smith is likely to mark the last start – at least in New York – for the $1.3 million earning New York-bred Cross Border. The 9-year-old ridgling by English Channel is coming off a win in the Cape Henlopen at Delaware Park, his fifth career stakes win.

Lost Ark won the off-the-turf Jockey Club Derby here Oct. 7. So High ran off to a 15-length advantage and held for third in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. Main Event wheels back eight days after winning an allowance on the front end.

Limited Liability, third in the Grade 3 Sycamore, Marwad, Tide of the Sea, and Master Piece complete the field. Shawdyshawdyshawdy and Daunt are on the also-eligible list.

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