Handicapping Saturday Stakes on Dirt, Turf, Synthetic

A trio of grade 3 stakes are scattered across North America for Saturday, Nov. 23. 

Aqueduct Racetrack cards the Red Smith (G3T), the last graded turf race of the season for older males in New York.

Del Mar features the Native Diver on dirt for 3-year-olds and older.

Woodbine Racetrack offers a stakes twin-bill of the Kennedy Road (G3) for sprinters and the $225,000 Coronation Futurity for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds, which is the richest race on the continent on the day.

Red Smith (Aqu, race 9, 3:47 p.m. ET): I know Sadler's Joy (7) has lost 10 in a row since taking the 2018 Mac Diarmida (G2T) in his seasonal debut, but by the "class on the grass" adage the $2.3 million earner is supposed to get back on the board in this spot. He has been in grade 1 or grade 2 company through his past 18 starts, and what's more, the son of Kitten's Joy  has been as fast as ever in three outings at age 6 that include narrow losses in the Sword Dancer (G1T) and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1T). 

For some inexplicable reason—Sadler's Joy, a deep closer if there ever was one—got off last in the Turf Classic but was then sent up to contest the pace between horses, and he fought gamely the rest of the way. He gets reunited with Javier Castellano here and should revert to more familiar tactics as some combination of Tiz a Slam (1), Red Right Hand (5) and Glorious Empire (11) vie early.

Christophe Clement has been dangerous with European imports for decades, so it would be foolhardy to dismiss the chances of Petit Fils (2) in his stateside debut. A win in the Prix d'Hedouville (G3T) in May suggests the gelding classes up, and he will be first-time Lasix with hot-riding Joel Rosario aboard.

Marzo (4) was claimed from a $62,500 turf sprint by Mike Maker in late August, and appears to have found his calling in long-distance events judging from a score in the 12-furlong Sycamore (G3T) last month. 

Red Knight (8) was off his game during the summer but turned things around with two good efforts at Belmont Park's fall meet, capped by a win in the Point Of Entry from well off the pace.

A - 2, 7

B - 1, 4, 8

Native Diver (Dmr, race 8, 4 p.m. PT): The class theme is apropos in this nine-furlong route too, because Roadster (4) took the Santa Anita Derby (G1) at the distance early in the year and none of the five horses he meets have won a graded stakes. Moreover, with the exception of Two Thirty Five (6), who was off the board in a minor stake at Fresno as the 11-10 favorite last fall, none of the others have been 1 1/8 miles.

Roadster was a solid second two back in the Affirmed (G3) behind stablemate Mucho Gusto, who is a four-time graded stakes winner and grade 1-placed. Roadster returned from a layoff in the seven-furlong Damascus on Breeders' Cup Saturday, and was shuffled back through the middle stages before rallying to miss in a photo; he will appreciate stretching back to two turns.

Midcourt (2) and the aforementioned Two Thirty Five were separated by a neck after a stretch-long drive in the recent Comma To the Top Stakes. As is the case with Roadster, they project for favorable pace setups behind Leading Score (1) and Zestful (3), who figure to hook up early.

A - 4

B - 2, 6

Kennedy Road (WO, race 8, 4:41 ET): Pink Lloyd (6) capped an 8-for-8 season by winning this race in 2017 en route to three Sovereign Awards including Horse of the Year. He makes his first appearance since Sept. 14, when he popped through the gate a split-second before the other stalls opened in the Bold Venture (G3) and was eventually ruled a non-starter. Not to worry, though, as the 7-year-old has never lost when coming back from a layoff.

The Bold Venture was not the first misadventure at the break for Pink Lloyd, but despite those issues he has compiled a remarkable record of 16-1-0 from 17 starts at the Kennedy Road's six furlongs. Ironically, the lone defeat was a runner-up finish in the 2016 edition of this race.

Extravagant Kid (2) has been second to Pink Lloyd in the last two renewals of the Jacques Cartier (G3), and comes off a troubled stretch run in the Woodford Stakes Presented By Keeneland Select (G2T).

Richiesinthehouse (4) is no slouch on synthetic (11-2-0 from 14 starts), and he is unbeaten from six starts at the distance.

Like the Native Diver, this race looks pretty chalky.

A - 6

B - 2, 4

Coronation Futurity (WO, race 9, 5:13 ET): Muskoka Gold (7) stands an excellent chance to give trainer Mark Casse his fourth victory in this race, as he comes off a fast-closing second in the Grey Stakes (G3) in late October.

The main threats to the 7-5 morning-line choice are Pleasecallmeback (5) and Malibu Mambo (8).

Pleasecallmeback has run on grass through his first four starts, including a second to Muskoka Gold in the Cup and Saucer. However, trainer Roger Attfield sent out Gun Society to win last week's South Ocean over this surface at 7-1, and that one had also only run on grass to that point. Further, Pleasecallmeback is by Hard Spun , who won a pair of grade 2 stakes at the Coronation's nine furlongs from his two races on synthetic; and his dam was a two-time allowance winner on synthetic who has produced runners who earned $366K and $153K on that surface.

Malibu Mambo was a good-looking debut winner on the local synthetic track in late August, after which he raced wide from post 12 finishing off the board in the grassy Cup and Saucer. It may pay to draw a line through that race.

A - 5, 7

B - 8