Flashy local stakes winner Allure of Money will face a strong challenge from stakes-winning Saratoga shipper Maker’s Candy when Finger Lakes hosts one of the richest races of its season on Monday, the $150,000 New York Derby for statebred sophomores.

The 1 1/16-mile stakes highlights a nine-race card that has a first post of 1:15 p.m. Maker’s Candy would give trainer Mike Maker his second New York Derby win after he took last year’s edition with Barese.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In No Nay Hudson and Eye Witness, trainer Wesley Ward likely has the two top choices for Sunday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Quick Call Stakes at Saratoga. But the 10-horse field appears to have plenty of depth to it with horses like Gaslight Dancer and Two of a Kind likely offering a bit more value in the 5 1/2-furlong turf race for 3-year-olds.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Yacht Boy put it all together second time out for trainer Norm McKnight, and the son of Old Forester could be favored in Sunday’s $125,000 Victoria Stakes for 2-year-olds at Woodbine.

When debuting in a five-furlong maiden special on June 4, Yacht Boy got away slowly under Rafael Hernandez before rushing up to contest the lead along the rail. He folded in the final sixteenth to end up fifth behind Saratoga-bound Triple Trea and next-out winner Bucyk.

Aloha Breeze will attempt to continue her dominance over the 3-year-old filly division at Emerald Downs in Sunday’s $50,000 Kent Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs. The card also includes the $50,000 Irish Day Stakes at the same distance for 3-year-olds.

Aloha Breeze, a daughter of The Factor, was an impressive winner of the Seattle Stakes on June 18 for trainer Tom Wenzel and owner George Todaro. Aloha Breeze will be making her third start of 2023 and sixth overall, having tasted defeat just twice.

Kalik
Colt by Collected – Coronation Street, by Street Cry
Bred in Ontario by Peter A. Berglar Racing Interests and Anderson Farms ($80,000 Fasig-Tipton November weanling purchase by Spin to Win Stables; $200,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Whitehorse, Madaket, and e Five Racing)

The Canadian classic series tests 3-year-olds on multiple surfaces over a route of ground. Both sides of Kalik’s pedigree show versatility, as well as some route ability.

Dark Nme is not only unbeaten in four races at Remington Park and Ruidoso Downs this year, she is not letting the competition get close.

Dark Nme has won each of her races by at least 1 3/4 lengths and took her most recent start in a division of the Rainbow Futurity trials by 3 1/4 lengths on June 30 to earn the role of favorite in Sunday’s $1 million final at 400 yards at Ruidoso Downs.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The King’s Plate-nominated horses who competed in Grade 1 turf stakes on July 8 at Belmont Park were disappointing, which has thrown the early Plate picture into some disarray.

Following consecutive front-running scores on the Belmont turf, Grade 2 winner Kalik was a non-threatening eighth in Belmont Derby, his first poor performance since his 2-year-old debut on dirt.

Handicapping the horses is difficult enough. Handicapping the weather adds another layer of complexity. If all the rain comes that’s supposed to come, grass stakes in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware are going to be contested on soft or yielding ground or moved to dirt. Let’s see if that creates opportunities.

Diana

I touted and bet In Italian at an extremely generous 8-1 when she won the 2022 Diana. A year later, you either pass the race or get wild and try to beat In Italian at something like 3-5.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Forte, runner-up in the Belmont Stakes last month, will bypass the $1 million Haskell Stakes on July 22 at Monmouth Park and instead make his next start in the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes on July 29 at Saratoga, trainer Todd Pletcher said Thursday.

“Tough call,” Pletcher said. “There may or not may be a right answer. We just felt like shipping up here, getting a race over the track. The two Travers winners we’ve had have run in the Jim Dandy.”

Defending winner I Recall has a number of advantages in a big field of 11 Ohio-bred fillies and mares for the $75,000 Vivacious Stakes on the Belterra Park turf, one of two stakes on the Cincinnati track’s Saturday program.