A field of 14 led by Dream Bigger will line up in Saturday’s $500,000 New York Stallion Series. (Photo credit: © Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com)
The Rudy Rodriguez trained Dream Bigger is looking for a big payday as the morning line favorite in the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series Saturday at Aqueduct.
A full field of 14 two-year-olds will go seven furlongs over a main track at the Big A that likely will have moisture in it with rain in the forecast for Friday and Saturday.
Dream Bigger is the 5-2 morning line favorite and will break from the 13 post with jockey Manny Franco aboard. The colt won the state bred Notebook last out in his first trip over the Aqueduct main track. He broke his maiden at Finger Lakes winning the New York Breeders’ Futurity by 10 ¾ lengths. In September.
“This was our main goal and so far, he’s coming into the race really well. He had a good breeze,” Rodriguez said. “We’re hoping for big things, but New York has such a good program. We’re trying to keep him against New York breds and run for as much money as we can. If things happen and he starts getting better, we can throw him into deeper water.”
Notebook Replay
The Jeramiah Englehart trained Captain Bombastic is the second choice on the morning line at 7-2. The colt won the New York bred Sleepy Hollow by a neck in his last outing. Four he beat in that race have come back to run again, none landing among the top three in their next starts.
Bank On Shea (8-1) should be tighter second off the break and Chowda (12-1) could be in the mix at a decent price.
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Let’s head out to Aqueduct for Saturday’s featured race of the day:
Aqueduct Race 8 The New York Stallion Series (Post time 3:46 ET)
13 Dream Bigger 5-2
10 Bank On Shea 8-1
9 Chowda 12-1
8 Captain Bombastic 7-2
Dream Bigger
This colt is going to be sent off as the betting favorite, but this guy looks capable of winning right back. The colt ran second in his first two career starts, running into Tiz the Law in his debut, that foe coming back to win the Champagne (G1) and run third in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs. Our top pick graduated in his third career start, winning the state bred New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes by 10 3/4 lengths. He came back in the state bred Notebook here where he pressed the early pace, opened up a clear lead heading for home and held on to win by 1 1/4 lengths and earned the top last out speed fig. He owns solid early and mid pace numbers and the outside draw should keep him out of trouble. By Mission Impazible out of a Sky Mesa mare, he has a decent enough off track pedigree and should be able to handle more ground.
Bank On Shea
The Jason Servis trainee tracked the early pace and was no match for our top pick in the Notebook where he checked in third beaten six lengths. The colt was making his first start since his debut four months earlier at Saratoga. The Servis barn is 35% winners with runners making their second start off a 45-180-day layoff. The colt is out of an Uncle Mo mare and is bred to handle a wet track. He figures to be able to close in on the margin he was beaten last out second off the bench and the 8-1 morning line looks fair enough to toss him in the mix here.
Chowda
The colt was beaten double digit lengths in his first two starts and was a game maiden winner late out by a neck in his third career start. The runner up Bourbon Bay came back to graduate in his next start here on Dec. 5. The Sciacca trainee appears headed in the right direction and should be forwardly placed in here. A solid off track pedigree, by Emcee out of a Chief Seattle mare. Decent value if he goes off near his 12-1 morning line.
