The G2 Remsen Stakes is this Saturday at Aqueduct and coveted points for the Kentucky Derby will be on the line. A field of ten young thoroughbreds are lining up to do battle, and among the ten of them, I see four standouts.
The first horse I want to take a look at is one that I have been high on for a very long time. That horse is Biblical. Biblical was bred to do big things. He is by Tapit, America's leading sire in 2014, 2015, and 2016, and is out of the mare who gave us the highly talented Princess of Sylmar, Storm Dixie. I have liked this colt ever since I came across him in the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale back in 2016, so it is exciting to know that he is coming into this race with a live shot.
Biblical ran a disappointing sixth in his debut at Saratoga, but then improved to hit the board and finish third in his second start. The third time proved to be the charm for this strapping gray, and he made his next start a winning one. Biblical raced mid-pack for the majority of his 1 1/8 allowance race before boldly storming to the front to challenge the leaders. He hooked up with Roaming Union going around the final bend, and the tenacious pair turned it into a dogfight as they hightailed it into the stretch. Biblical showed no weakness as he determinedly battled his stubborn foe. Roaming Union was giving it all he had, but somehow Biblical found another gear. With a strong burst of speed he accelerated forward, leaving Roaming Union in his dust. Marconi came flying up with a late bid, but it was not enough. Biblical was home free. Keeping Marconi at bay, Biblical soared over the wire in style.
I loved the fact that Biblical was able to win the way that he did. He showed that he will not shy away from a fight, and that is a quality of a true racehorse. It shows a lot of promise for a young horse to duel with another challenger, pull away, and then still fend off a strong closing kick of a fellow runner. Plus, the fact that he won going a mile and an eighth suggests that distance is not an issue for this tenacious colt. I think he will actually get better as the races get longer. He has improved with every start he has made so far, and I don't expect that to change now. I really like this colt and think that he has a bright future. He is taking a big step up in class, taking on stakes competition for the first time, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if he steals the show in the Remsen Stakes on Saturday. And with odds of 8-1, I can't ignore him. I have been a fan of this colt for a very long time and I only feel stronger about him now.
A horse that I can't leave off my ticket on Saturday is Avery Island. The strong son of Street Sense ran a lackluster seventh in his debut, but has shown nothing but talent since. He showed true grit in his second start, overcoming adversity to win in impressive fashion. He got bumped coming out of the gate, but shook it off to establish the lead. Setting the pace, he showed the way around the track in a hand-ride. Avery Island began to draw away from the competition when he swung into the stretch. The others were no match as the nimble colt streaked away to win by almost six lengths.
Avery Island entered the Nashua Stakes in his next start and proved that he was the real deal. After recovering from a stumble at the start, the unflappable colt bravely charged up to stalk the pace set by Under The Graydar. The fractions were solid but it didn't take anything out of Avery Island. In fact, he was just getting started. After traveling for only three furlongs, Avery Island could no longer hold back. He unleashed a powerful burst of speed and took over. From there he made every step a winning one. Avery Island ran away from his competition, romping home by a dominating 4 3/4 lengths.
Avery Island is a serious threat to the Remsen Stakes. The colt has been gifted with brilliant speed and a competitive drive to win. I expect him to be right there, leading the fray into the stretch on Saturday. It will be a test to see if anyone has what it takes to come and catch him.
Another horse that I expect to make some noise on Saturday is Vouch. Vouch only has one race to his name, but it was an impressive one to say the least. He ate his competition alive at Laurel Park, overwhelming them to win by 8 1/4 lengths. Vouch showed no mercy in the 1 1/16 event, flaunting his speed to take the field gate to wire. He couldn't have made it look any easier. However, the Remsen Stakes will be a major step up for this steadfast youngster. It won't be a cakewalk this time around. He lacks experience compared to the rest of the Remsen field and will be taking on some very fierce horses. He may prove strong enough to hold his own, but I am not counting on him to win. That being said, I do think he has a shot to stick around and finish in the money. His last two workouts leading up to this race have been bullets, so it will be interesting to see what he can do.
The last horse I want to mention is Catholic Boy. This is a very interesting spot for him since he has been strictly a turf horse in all his previous starts. Understandably, anyone who has a talented two year old wants to make it to the Kentucky Derby, so now is the perfect time to test things out and see what Catholic Boy can do on the dirt.
If Catholic Boy can transfer his talent on the turf to the dirt, he just may pull off a win on Saturday. The bay son of More Than Ready has shown nothing but promise in all three of his starts so far. He broke his maiden on his first try and then went on to score in the With Anticipation Stakes. He went into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf undefeated, but faced a field that was loaded with formidable rivals that were all determined to win.
Catholic Boy met his first defeat in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, but it was a defeat that came with dignity. He finished a very strong fourth, proving that he can compete with the best. This colt has courage, raw talent, and the will to win. I am very intrigued to see what he can do on the dirt. If he can handle the surface change, the others better watch out because he will be there fighting at the end.
If you are playing this race I suggest boxing Biblical and Avery Island up to win. While I don't like to play favorites, I simply can't count Avery Island out. He is just too good. And with his 8-1 odds, Biblical will help add value. I strongly believe the win will come down between the two of them. Vouch will be a smart horse to use underneath them, and don't count out Catholic Boy. Anything can happen with these young horses as they learn the sport and find their stride. It will be very exciting to see who will come out on top this Saturday!
For more on Biblical, check out this link to a previous article I wrote about him
https://chelsealowman66.wixsite.com/mysite/single-post/2017/11/19/Early-Derby-Thoughts
You can also follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Down2TheWire_