Stallion Series Events at Aqueduct

Five different races are on tap Saturday at Aqueduct that are restricted to New York-breds as part of the 2013 New York Stallion series.  The feature race #8 of the nine-race card is a $125,000 event  for three-year-olds and up going seven furlongs in the dirt.  Twelve colts and geldings have been entered, including the David Jacobson-trained entry of Sportswriter and Uncle Smokey, who have been listed at 10-1 in the morning line odds.  The race promises to be fairly wide open, with some good betting options to be had.

Favorite never out of the money lifetime

The ML favorite at 7-2 is Chapman, a three-year-old gelding who has never been worse than third in eight lifetime starts. He’s raced mostly in optional claiming company, but was third earlier this year in the Claremont Stakes, restricted to NY-breds, and most recently won an $64,000 allowance-optional race by 5 3/4 lengths at Belmont. Second choice at 4-1 is Smooth Bert, fifth in his last race against open company in the Coastal Stakes, and third three starts back in the Albany Stakes at Saratoga, which was a restricted event. He’s been cross-entered in the Time For A Change Stakes Wednesday at Aqueduct.

Only one with graded-stakes result in the field

Also in the field is West Hills Giant (6-1), who had big dreams of taking up the Kentucky Derby trail when he started the season with a third-place finish in the Java Gold Stakes, and followed that up by running second in the Grade III Gotham Stakes. Things came crashing back to earth, however, when he ran twelfth in the Grade I Bluegrass Stakes. Since then he’s shown erratic form, with two earlier Stallion Series wins, coupled with a third in the New York Derby at Finger Lakes, and a fifth last time out in the Basket Weave Stakes at Belmont.