Handicapping: Go For Wand, Demoiselle, Cigar Mile Views

Handicappers are presented with an interesting array of stakes action Saturday, Dec. 5, headed by the Starlet Stakes (G1) at Los Alamitos Race Course and the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Astute makes her graded-stakes debut in the Starlet and stretches out after two sprint victories, the latest a dominating performance in the Desi Arnaz. The daughter of Speightstown  meets four rival 2-year-old fillies, three of which are trained by Bob Baffert including Princess Noor, a dual graded stakes winner who was the beaten favorite in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), and Kalypso, who is fresh off a front-running triumph in the Anoakia Stakes.

The Cigar Mile caps a card that also features the Remsen Stakes (G2) and Demoiselle Stakes(G2) for 2-year-olds, which offer 17 qualifying points (10-4-2-1) to the 2021 Kentucky Derby Presented By Woodford Reserve (G1) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), as well as the Go for Wand Handicap (G3). They are the final four graded stakes of the year in New York, where the forecast is for rain and a high probability of a sloppy track.

It's also the first Saturday of the "Championship Meet" at Gulfstream Park, featuring nine Claiming Crown events topped by the $150,000 Jewel. The over-achieving Jesus' Team comes off in-the-money finishes in three straight graded stakes, most recently a second in the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at over 60-1. He will be more like 6-5 in his return to South Florida, where he won two claiming races earlier in the year.

On the other side of the state, Tampa Bay Downs cards the Inaugural and the Sandpiper, a pair of $100,000 six-furlong sprints for juveniles.

The Go for Wand kicks off a pick five that goes through the Demoiselle and Cigar Mile, which is where our primary focus will be.

Go for Wand (Aqu, race 6, 2:07 ET): This renewal came up exceptionally light, and Nonna Madeline (1), who has won stakes at Saratoga Race Course and Monmouth Park this year, concedes anywhere from six to eight pounds to her rivals, none of which have earned black type.

The second choice is Sharp Starr (3), who romped against fellow New York-breds in fast time out of the Big A chute four weeks ago. Sired by Munnings  and out of an A.P. Indy mare, she is bred to relish off-going, though, like Nonna Madeline, she has raced on nothing but fast tracks as yet.

The two wet-track winners in the field are Portal Creek (2) and Stand for the Flag (5), who are both 8-1 on the morning line and deserving of some scrutiny. Portal Creek has won three of four since transferred to Juan Carlos Guerrero, who shipped in to score with his only prior starter at the fall meet. Stand for the Flag has been absent since last winter, but ran her fastest race by far in a maiden win over a sloppy track, and may move up in the muck and mire first time out for Rob Atras.

A — 1

B — 2, 3, 5

Demoiselle (Aqu, race 9, 3:44 ET): We're keying on the three fillies by Curlin — Malathaat (1), Millefeuille (3), and Malibu Curl (4).

Malathaat put away Cafe Society (6) en route to a length victory in the Tempted Stakes last month and will be favored to become Todd Pletcher's sixth Demoiselle winner.

Millefeuille showed high promise in two starts at Belmont Park, climaxed by maiden graduation in decisive fashion. The Juddmonte Farms homebred packs the best finishing punch from what we've seen of this group so far.

Malibu Curl was an impressive maiden winner at seven furlongs at the Spa three months ago, acting as if this trip is within her scope.

A — 1, 3

B — 4

C — 6

Cigar Mile (Aqu, race 10, 4:13 ET): Five of the nine entrants have banked over $1 million, but two of them — Mind Control (2) and Firenze Fire (4) — could be scratched if the conditions are soupy.

Between the pandemic and an ankle issue that forced him to miss the Runhappy Carter Handicap (G1) in April, things just never clicked in 2020 for Performer (1) who swept his four starts as a 3-year-old, capped by the Discovery Stakes (G3) on this surface last November. He finally returned to the races in early fall at Belmont, and could not have been more impressive taking a high-end optional claimer and shading 1:34 seconds for the mile.

Snapper Sinclair (3) and True Timber (8) are the backups. 

Snapper Sinclair is third back from a freshening after a pair of turf races, beginning with a defense of his title in the 2019 Tourist Mile, which produced a solid finish for second over Ivar, who then took the Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1T). Last out, he got a tough setup chasing a loose-on-the-lead winner at Churchill Downs through a slow pace.

True Timber was second in the 2018 Cigar Mile at 31-1 and third last year at 32-1. One of his better efforts of 2020 was a close third in the Forego Presented By America's Best Racing (G1) over a sloppy track at 37-1.

A — 1

B — 3, 8