Wake Forest not only option in Red Smith Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Wake Forest will be heavily favored to give trainer Chad Brown yet another graded stakes win on turf in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Red Smith Handicap.

But the race does not lack for alternatives.

Wake Forest won the Grade 1 Man o’ War at Belmont in May and has three additional top-three finishes in Grade 1 stakes this year. The late-running Wake Forest should get a good pace scenario, as there appears to be an unusual amount of early speed in the field of 11.

The Red Smith is run at 1 3/8 miles, the distance of the Man o’ War and a furlong shorter than his last two starts, both at Woodbine, when he was second and third.

“The slight cutback will help this horse,” said Brown, who won this race last year with Mr Maybe.

Bigger Picture comes out of a second-place finish behind Renown in the Grade 2 Sycamore at Keeneland going 1 1/2 miles on Oct. 20. He raced along the inside for a good portion of the race, and appeared to brush with another rival in midstretch before finding clear running room late, only to get outfinished.

“He didn’t have much room to go through,” trainer Mike Maker said. “Thought he was unlucky. He’s doing great. Looking forward to a better trip this weekend.”

Trainer Graham Motion sends out the uncoupled entry of Messi and Up With the Birds. Messi, winner of the Grade 2 Sky Classic two starts back, finished last in the John Henry Turf Cup at Santa Anita last out.

“The pace of the race was too much for him,” Motion said. “He got run off his feet out there. That’s the only explanation I can give him. He’s done super since.”

Up With the Birds was off slowly and compromised by a pedestrian pace in the Sycamore, finishing seventh, beaten 6 1/4 lengths.

Arties Silver Mine and Danish Dynaformer ship in for dangerous Canadian-based trainers Reade Baker and Roger Attfield, respectively.

The Red Smith is the last graded turf stakes on this circuit for 2016.

KEY CONTENDERS

Wake Forest, by Sir Percy
Last 3 Beyers: 101-101-93

◗ Holds a bit of a class edge, as he’s run in five straight Grade 1’s, including a win in the Man o’ War and a neck loss to The Pizza Man in the Northern Dancer.

◗ As the 123-pound highweight he’s spotting 3 to 9 pounds to the rest of the field.

Bigger Picture, by Badge of Silver
Last 3 Beyers: 95-94-97

◗ Has three wins and a second in six starts since being claimed by Maker for $32,000 here last November.

◗ He’s the only member of this field with a win over the Aqueduct turf.

◗ Might benefit from the field spreading out, with good amount of early speed signed up.

Messi, by New Approach
Last 3 Beyers: 88-102-94

◗ May not have cared for the firm turf or fast pace of the John Henry at Santa Anita last out.

◗ Was a pace-pressing presence when he won the Grade 2 Sky Classic at Woodbine two starts back.

Smooth Daddy, by Scat Daddy
Last 3 Beyers: 94-97-85

◗ Front-running type comes in fresh for a barn that is going quite well this fall.

◗ Ran second to Ironicus in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy at Belmont coming off two-month layoff in May.

◗ His last win came going 1 1/4 miles last fall at Belmont.