Best Horse Racing Bets Today | Aqueduct, September 28

With big races on both coasts this weekend, I will focus on New York and Aqueduct for my best bets. The Big A will feature four graded stakes on Saturday led bv the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. The 7-year-old mare War Like Goddess will try to beat the boys for the third year in a row in the 12-furlong grass test. Standing in her way are a trio of graded stakes winning 4-year-olds, Silver Knott, Far Bridge, and Truly Quality.

Supporting the important prep for the Breeders’ Cup Turf will be the Grade 2 Woodward, the Grade 2 Pilgrim, and the Grade 3 Vosburgh. All three should produce starters in the Breeders Cup on Nov. 1 & 2 at Del Mar. In the Woodward, Skippylongstocking will look for yet another graded stakes score against Crupi and Tapit Trice. Zulu Kingdom is the one to beat in the Pilgrim, while Comedy Town leads a wide-open edition of the Vosburgh. Without further ado, let’s get to my top picks and plays on Saturday at Aqueduct.

Race #4 Woodward Stakes (Grade 2) $400,000 1 1/8-Miles Dirt - 1:38pm EST

The controlling speed on paper, Skippylongstocking will be the one they have to catch in a compact field of four set for the $400,000 Woodward on Saturday at Aqueduct.

A 5-year-old son of Exaggerator, Skippylongstocking comes into this 9-furlong test of a dominant score in the Grade 3 Charles Town Classic last month, which was also 1 1/8-miles. A winner of half of his six starts so far this season, the bay has won seven graded stakes races over the past three seasons for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.

Tapit Trice could be the favorite’s top competition on Saturday. He exits a slightly disappointing effort when fourth in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga. Before that, he was a strong winner of the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup for trainer Todd Pletcher. A Grade 1 winner last year as a 3-year-old, the son of Tapit should be at his best in his third start as an older horse.

Crupi has a strong late run and should be moving well late. In his most recent race, he rallied powerfully to get up for second in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga. Also trained by Pletcher, he won two stakes at Aqueduct late last season. This race should be controlled by Skippylongstocking on the front end, however. He is the top pick in the Woodward. 

My Play

• $50 Win - Skippylongstocking = $50

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Race #6 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (Grade 1) $500,000 1 1/2-Miles Turf- 2:40pm EST

Having seen his three race winning streak broken last time in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga, the classy English-bred Silver Knott will look to get back to his winning ways when he tops a field of seven entered in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct. 

A 4-year-old son of Lope de Vega trained by Charlie Appleby, Silver Knott rattled off a trio of Grade 2 stakes scores at Keeneland, Aqueduct, and Saratoga before finishing third last month. The earner of better than $1.1 million in his 16-race career, he will likely be the favorite in this 1 1/2-mile affair, despite some classy competition.

Chief among them is the veteran mare War Like Goddess. Best at 1 1/2-miles the two-time defending champion of this race should get plenty of pace to set up her strong late run on Saturday. A fast closing second last time in the Grade 2 Flower Bowl, the Bill Mott-trained star will be tough to stop at her favorite distance.

Far Bridge in the Sword Dancer, and Truly Quality in the Colonial Cup both come in off the best wins in their career. A similar performance by either puts them in the mix on Saturday, and an upset would come as no surprise. Having said that, War Like Goddess should get the trip she prefers here and is the top pick.

My Play

• $10 Exacta Part Wheel - War Like Goddess and Truly Quality over War Like Goddess, Truly Quality, Silver Knott, and Far Bridge = $60

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Race #9 Vosburgh Stakes (Grade 3) $250,000 7-Furlongs Dirt - 4:14pm EST

In a race with no obvious favorite, the streaking Comedy Town has been pegged as a 5/2 morning line favorite among a field of seven older sprinters entered in the Grade 3 Vosburgh Stakes on Saturday.

Both Comedy Town and Dean Delivers come into the 7-furlong test in top form. The former has won three straight in South Florida, including a pair of stakes in his last two. Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr. he brings a good amount of speed to the Vosburgh. As will Dean Delivers, who has won four straight stakes races in the Mid-Atlantic since transferring to the barn of Edward Allen.

The Bill Mott-trained Scotland should also get plenty of support after a nice score against a solid allowance field at Saratoga last time out. The 4-year-old son of Good Magic is no stranger to good horses and may have found a home in shorter races

Another to strongly consider on Saturday is the import from Chile, Mufasa. Having won all eight of his starts in his homeland at 9-furlongs or less, he should be right at home at this trip. After a decent run in his American debut, he looked the part of a budding star when he ran to a track record last time at Colonial Downs. I think his future in the U.S. is bright. He is the top pick in the Vosburgh.

My Play 

• $50 Win - Mufasa = $50

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Race #11 Pilgrim Stakes (Grade 2) $200,000 1 1/16-Miles Turf - 5:17pm EST

Bred in Ireland and a debut winner in France, Zulu Kingdom will look to make it two straight stakes wins in America when he tops a field of eight juvenile turf runners in Saturday’s Grade 2 Pilgrim at Aqueduct. 

Transferred to the powerful barn of Chad Brown after his debut win in Europe, the son of Ten Sovereigns got the job done with a determined stretch drive in the Grade With Anticipation at Saratoga in his U.S. debut. As the only stakes winner in a field of lightly-raced youngsters, he deserves to be the favorite on Saturday. 

Chief among his competition is his stablemate Early Adopter. A son of Lope de Vega, he had some trouble in his career debut last month at Saratoga. Still, he finished strongly to get up and win by a neck with impressive closing fractions. The Brown runner should improve in his second start.  

Another good-looking debut winner was the Shug McGaughey-trained Concord Green. A son of the prolific War Front, he was way back after an awkward start and without much of an early pace to run at and still was able to get up and win going away under top turf rider Dylan Davis. I look for improvement from him as well. He will be my top pick in this one.

My Play

• $10 Exacta Box - Concord Green, Zulu Kingdom, and Early Adopter = $60

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