Longshots Who Could Add Value to Your Remsen Stakes Bets
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Gift Box looks like he may be able to beat Mohaymen in the Remsen. (Photos by NYRA/Coglinese Photos)
The Road to the Kentucky Derby picks up at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday with 10 points up for grabs to the winner of the Grade 2, $300,000 Remsen Stakes. The race features the undefeated Mohaymen, a $2.2-million co-sale topper at the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. But there are a few challengers in the Remsen who should make the son of Tapit earn it, including some longshots who can make the race profitable for those looking to bet.
Let’s start though with the favorite Mohaymen. He comes off of a very impressive win in the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct. Not only was he asked to keep close to the pace in his stakes debut last out but he did it while traveling wide. Despite that, he still reaccelerated when asked, easily took the lead and effortlessly held off challenges from returning foes Flexibility and Sail Ahoy.
MOHAYMEN WINNING THE NASHUA STAKES
Of those two horses beaten by Moyhamen last out, Sail Ahoy is a bit more intriguing in this spot.
Sail Ahoy adds blinkers after a nice rally in the Nashua in which he kind of stalled in the final 50 yards of an inside run. Prior to him hitting that wall, he was the only other horse in the race to close ground from off the pace. It was visually impressive too.
Sail Ahoy is a half-brother to Pine Island, who won the Grade 1 Gazelle and Alabama Stakes in 2006 and was second in the Mother Goose and the Coaching Club American Oaks. He’s also a half to turf specialist Point of Entry, the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Turf runner-up. Sail Ahoys’s pedigree indicates he’ll like going longer, which he gets crack at here.
Chad Brown trains both Flexibility and Gift Box in the Remsen. Speaking of pedigree, Gift Box is a half-brother to Stonetastic who won the Grade Prioress and finished fourth in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Gift Box beat a horse named Matt King Coal by a nose last out and they were both 18 lengths ahead of the next closest horse. Matt King Coal then came back to win against similar company by 5 3/4 lengths.
While I think Mohaymen, Sail Ahoy and Gift Box are your main win contenders in the Remsen, I’d take a close look at two big longshots who could add value to your exotic bets: Hunter O’Reilly and Marengo Road.
While meant for the turf in his young career, Hunter O’Reilly has shown incredible kick in all three of his races, including last out when the race got washed off the turf and he was able to win on the dirt at Churchill. I’d expect him to relish the added distance here, especially if Donegal Moon on the rail is engaged in a pace battle earlier on with Mohaymen or anyone else.
Marengo Road comes into the Remsen off of a 9 1/4-length win last out. The race was against allowance level horses at Laurel Park but it’s worth noting the horses he beat - stakes placed Flash McCaul and Look Who’s Talking (finished fifth in the Grade 3 Miss Grillo). Jockey Jose Ortiz jumps on the horse (a good sign for one coming in like this from Maryland) and Marengo Road should also embrace this stretch out in distance.
Selections
#6 Gift Box - #3 Mohaymen - #9 Marengo Road - #7 Hunter O’Reilly - #2 Sail Ahoy
Bets on a $20 budget
$1 trifecta key 6 over 2,3,7,9 ($12)
$1 exacta 3,6 with 2,3,6,7,9 ($8)
$300,000 Remsen Stakes
Saturday, Aqueduct, Race 5,1:50p.m. ET
1 1/8 miles, dirt, 2-year-olds
PP
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
ML
1
Donegal Moon
John Velazquez
Todd Pletcher
Donegal Racing
15/1
2
Sail Ahoy
Joel Rosario
Shug McGaughey
Phipps Stable
6/1
3
Mohaymen
Junior Alvarado
Kiaran McLaughlin
Shadwell Stable
8/5
4
Flexibility
Irad Ortiz Jr.
Chad Brown
Klaravich Stables Inc. and William Lawrence
3/1
5
Ravenheart
Kendrick Carmouche
Francis Abbott
Bode Miller
30/1
6
Gift Box
Javier Castellano
Chad Brown
William Farish,
4/1
7
Hunter O'Riley
Luis Saez
Joe Sharp
Sean Shay and Michael Ryan
15/1
8
Runaway
Gabriel Saez
Tim Ice
Dr. K Jayaraman and Dr. Vilasini Jayaraman
30/1
9
Marengo Road
Jose Ortiz
Michael Trombetta
Harry Meyerhoff, and Tom O.
12/1