Preview of Race 9 at Aqueduct: Gazelle Stakes Insights

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00:00And we'll go to the Gazelle right now because this is race number nine on Saturday at Aqueduct.

00:05This is the one for the Kentucky Oaks Phillies trying to get points qualified over on the

00:11East Coast.

00:12Following this, David Aragona will help you out talking about the Wood Memorial.

00:16So in this group, I do want to mention that to the outside, Liam in the Dust is cross-centered

00:21in this race and in race this weekend over at Keeneland.

00:25So not exactly sure at this time when we're recording where Liam will run, but just wanted

00:29to mention that.

00:31As we meet the field, it's a $200,000 purse.

00:34They'll travel one mile and an eighth in here over at Aqueduct Alexa in the Grade 3 Gazelle.

00:40Late night call will kick off the field here.

00:42Now, she did face the boys a couple of starts back.

00:45So I always like mentioning when you have gals facing the boys and they probably face

00:49a little bit tougher, but her overall body of work has been at tracks that aren't quite

00:54the top tier at Laurel and at Parks.

00:58So I think just from that perspective, I need to see one from her against this tougher

01:03group to see really where she stacks up competitively against a group like this.

01:08Yeah, I agree.

01:09I mean, she did wire the field in a six-horse field at a much easier level.

01:14So I think the fact that there's not a lot of early speed in here is probably the only

01:19case I can make for her in this race.

01:21Yeah, I agree, because there really isn't that much early speed.

01:24So that's a great point.

01:25If you're looking for a long shot or a horse who could hang on for a slice at a big price,

01:30it could be late night call.

01:32Ballerina D'Oro, what concerns me about the number two, Alexa, is her running style in

01:37this race, because she's not very fast early on.

01:40She's a horse who drops back.

01:41She makes one late run.

01:43She needs them to go pretty fast early and set it up for her.

01:46Yeah, I actually like Ballerina D'Oro.

01:48I mean, that was her first race where she closed from the back of the pack in the Demoiselle.

01:56And now had this long layoff.

01:57And I think second off the layoff is a really playable angle in here for a filly who should

02:02improve for a trainer who really excels in graded stakes races with 24% win rate.

02:06So I think you'll get some good odds.

02:09And I like her.

02:10And so does Timeform US.

02:11I feel like she's the one they'll all have to hold off in here.

02:14The number three, Vanilla Sunday, on the opposite end of the spectrum.

02:18I just went to Handles last night, had one with some caramel, the chocolate chunks in

02:22it.

02:23Yes, please.

02:24And what's nice about her, she is one of those horses who has early speed and there aren't

02:28very many in here.

02:29So she could probably take things a long way, Alexa.

02:31Yeah, I mean, she's trying graded stakes for the first time after winning for the first

02:35time last out with a 16 length victory over second place.

02:40I mean, she really, really, really got away that day.

02:43This race is a little longer in distance and tougher, but considering, like we said, there's

02:47not a ton of contentious pace.

02:48I think she really makes sense in here.

02:50She's got really strong connections with owner Rapoli and trader Pletcher.

02:54So this is my top pick.

02:58I'm going to be very high on Vanilla Sunday as well.

03:02Early on, can sit off the pace a little bit.

03:04She was the runner up in the Virginia Oaks.

03:06I like that she's moving forward, but this does feel like a tougher group than what she's

03:10faced.

03:11Yeah, she has 25 points on the Oaks leaderboard.

03:14So she's coming back on somewhat of a short rest to try to seal the deal.

03:18She needs fourth or better to punch her ticket to Louisville.

03:21I think it's a tough race for her to win, but I do think she could pick up the points

03:24she needs to get the objective and get the points.

03:29Della Rain comes into this race off of a third place finish when she was on the grass in

03:33her last start.

03:34She feels like a horse who's kind of one of the deeper closers, like she'll probably be

03:38dropping back.

03:39She'll hope they go quick early and she'll try to pick them up late.

03:42How do you think she fits with this group?

03:45You know, her best performances and only wins have been on the turf and synthetic, but her

03:50pedigree does suggest that dirt should be the preferred surface.

03:53So an interesting possible play in here.

03:57I know Time From U.S. has her like kind of tied there for second place.

04:01Dariah is the next one up.

04:04The lone win came at Indiana Grand in a race that was taken off the turf.

04:10So I have a tough kind of sense of where she would stack up with a group like this.

04:15What do you do with the six?

04:17Yeah, I just think, you know, she turned up empty last out, lost by 30 lengths in a six

04:22horse field without a ton of excuse.

04:26And the workouts are so slow coming into this, I'm passing.

04:30The number seven is obviously named for my co-host here, Alexa, Pure Beauty, who comes

04:36in off a good third place finish last time out behind Anna's Promise, who came back to

04:40run second in the Gulfstream Park Oaks.

04:42What do we do with the seven here?

04:43I think she makes sense in here.

04:45You know, first time in this company, but I like the improving form and I think you

04:48can include her.

04:49I don't we don't know the odds yet, but I'm hoping we'll get some kind of value on her.

04:54And then rounding out the field, it's Liam in the dust.

04:57I do think she has a chance for a little bit of a bounce back because last year she ran

05:01some pretty good races and she kept good company.

05:03Do you give her a chance in this spot?

05:05I'm not sure.

05:06Maybe she's just a really wishy washy horse, like she'll have a decent race and then a

05:09terrible clunker and a decent race and a clunker.

05:11So I don't love seeing that against a tough field.

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