Aqueduct Hosts Red Smith Handicap

Racing fans at Delta Downs will get a chance to watch and wager on a New York stakes race this Saturday with the running of the $250,000 Grade III Red Smith Handicap for three-year-olds and up racing a tough 1 3/8 miles on the Aqueduct turf course. The race has drawn a field of 13, including one filly. Going in as the morning line favorite at 5-2 will be Hyper, a six-year-old Victory Gallop colt who has been in the money in all eight starts this season, including three wins.

Favorite coming off solid Grade I try

This will be Hyper’s third straight graded-stakes start, having finished second last time out in the Grade I Canadian International, beaten 3/4 of a length by Joshua Tree, who successfully defended his Canadian International title. Prior to that, Hyper won the Grade II Bowling Green Handicap on the Belmont turf. Second choice in the ML at 7-2 is Imagining  who will be looking for his first career graded stakes win. He started the campaign in allowance company, and has two stakes victories this year, as well as a sixth-place finish in the Grade I Joe Hirsch Turf.

Lone filly will be looking for second straight 

The lone distaff in the field is the Irish-bred Tannery (5-1) who is coming off a win in the Grade I EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine, and who prior to that finished second in the Grade I Flower Bowl Stakes, where she was beaten a half-length by Laughing, who then finished sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Tannery also has a Grade II score on the season, winning the Sheepshead Bay Stakes at Belmont in May. Also in the field is Howe Great (8-1) who was second or third in his last four starts, all Grade II or III events.