Some unfortunately short fields in New York and California and two inscrutable juvenile stakes at Tampa limit plausible plays this first Saturday of December. In the end, it’s an all long-distance edition of Weekend GamePlan – no race shorter than nine furlongs need apply.
Remsen
Aqueduct | Race 8 | Post Time 3:39 p.m. (ET)
Man in Finance (#1) is the logical horse to beat for Danny Gargan, who has won all of his limited starts so far at this Aqueduct meet. I just wasn't terribly impressed by this horse's last race, in which he took advantage of a contested pace with two rivals dueling in front of him. He ultimately pushed past and stepped forward off his return at Saratoga. Yet now he's drawn the rail in a race that features plenty of speed outside of him, so he could find himself in a less-comfortable early position.
Between the Del Mar turf and the Churchill dirt, plenty of meat on this Saturday’s leftover turkey bone.
This is the best one of these late November all-juvenile cards at Churchill that I can remember. Stuck with the two sprint stakes on the program, but the Kentucky Jockey Club – Further Ado versus Soldier N Diplomat versus Cherokee Nation – should be fun. Even with heavy favorite Explora out, the Golden Rod includes fillies with serious potential, especially Bella Ballerina and Atropa.
Ed Brown
RACE 6: MISTER ME takes on winners for the first time after a dominant victory against statebred special weight company last month. The Bernard Houghton trainee could have a pace advantage in this seven-furlong dash over the main track. SMOKED BOURBON battled early and pulled away late in his debut win over this racetrack on Nov. 4. He draws outside in his first start versus stakes foes. (2)
By Declan Schuster
Romantic Warrior (128lb) made a triumphant return to racing at Sha Tin this afternoon (Sunday, 23 November) as he sauntered to an emphatic victory in the HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m) for jockey James McDonald and trainer Danny Shum.
