December 12, 2024
TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon
New York, New York
The good times in the Empire State (at least for Mets fans) keep on rolling with a pair of $500,000 New York Stallion Series events on Saturday afternoon at Aqueduct.
Beginning in race eight with the Great White Way Division for 2-year-old colts and geldings, the first leg of the local double-header features an undefeated rookie by the name of Sacrosanct.
Off to a perfect 3-for-3 start with two stakes scores to boot (Bertram F. Bongard and Sleepy Hollow), Sacrosanct enters as the 9-5 opening line choice.
In the Fifth Division, the latter half of the NYSS showdown, a dozen 2-year-old fillies will also traverse 7 furlongs. Stone Smuggler (7-2), who’s pegged for post 12, is greeted with a strong opportunity to rebound after a third last time out in the Key Cents Stakes.
Overall, Stone Smuggler is 1-1-1 through three starts. The Jorge Abreu trainee’s lone victory came in October’s Lady Finger Stakes.
24/7/365
Call it remarkable talent, luck, or a bit of both, but there’s something to be said about a horse who can go 18 starts without missing the money.
Touchuponastar (3-5), the marvel behind a stellar 12-4-2 career record, will shoot for a 19th straight podium appearance this Saturday in the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic.
To keep the streak alive, the 5-year-old gelding must outduel four challengers, including two-time stakes winner Cosmic Train (9-2), who enters as the second choice behind Touchuponastar.
Trained by Jeff Delhomme (not to be confused with former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme), the multiple stakes winning Touchuponstar is also closing in on the $1 million earnings milestone ($932,000 banked heading into the 1 1/8-mile).
According to my Calculations…
If everything goes according to his calculations, then Howard Wolowitz will reach the finish line ahead of 11 rivals in Saturday’s $250,000 Holiday Cheer Stakes at Turfway Park.
Although lightly raced with only five starts to his name, the 3-year-old colt has made a big bang despite limited action.
After shedding his maiden label in his second career start, Howard Wolowitz reached new heights two starts later when he captured the $2 million Aristocrat Franklin Simpson (G1) on Sept. 7.
The savvy youngster couldn’t carry that momentum over to his most recent start (ninth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint), but that hasn’t dampened oddsmakers feelings towards the Jose Francisco D’Angelo charge heading into the 6-furlong Holiday Cheer.
Howard Wolowitz enters from post one as the 5-2 favorite.
Difficulty Level: Rookie
It’s been a rookie campaign to remember for Gaming, who’s quest for a second graded stakes title continues this Saturday at Los Alamitos Racecourse.
The Flavien Prat mount is one of five hopefuls entered in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity, a 1 1/6-mile dirt tilt for 2-year-olds.
Although the sample size is small (three career starts), Gaming has passed just about every test thrown his way.
The ascending youngster claimed his maiden voyage on Aug. 11 before delivering in his first taste at the graded level, the Del Mar Futurity (G1), on Sept. 9.
Fresh off a hard-fought second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), Gaming is determined to level up with a second Futurity feat.
Choose Your Side
Fashionably Fab or the field? That’s the burning question ahead of Sunday’s $100,000 La Prevoyante Stakes at Woodbine.
While it’s easy to side with the multiple graded stakes winning even-money favorite, it would be irresponsible to disregard the five other contenders altogether.
Let’s start with the cases for the second and third choices on the opening line, Hurricane Clair (3-1) and Tito’s Calling (4-1). The former owns a 12: 3-4-2 lifetime line with two stakes triumphs (Muskoka and Wonder Where) while the latter is a seasoned 4-year-old filly who finished third in last year’s Grade 3 Selene (23:4-4-3)
Rounding out Fashionably Fab’s list of opponents is War Painter (6-1), Fortyfiveseventy (12-1), and Talk to Ya Later (15-1). The underdog trio sports a combined 9-12-10 line through 53 starts with three stakes victories.
So, Fashionably Fab or the field?