By Joe Bianca
The 10-horse GII Remsen S. runs the gamut of entrants, with a dirt graded stakes winner, a turf graded stakes winner and a pair of maidens. That illustrates the wide-open nature of the annual Aqueduct 2-year-old centerpiece, with a variety of second-tier players looking to jump into the upper echelon heading into the new year.
Narrow morning-line favoritism lies with Godolphin homebred Avery Island (Street Sense). Seventh on debut Aug. 19 at Saratoga, the bay graduated by 5 1/4 lengths Sept. 30 at Belmont and repeated with a dominant tally in the local GII Nashua S. Nov. 5. He drilled for this with a half-mile bullet in :47 2/5 (1/91) on the Belmont training track Nov. 24.
Bob LaPenta's Catholic Boy (More Than Ready) tries dirt for the first time. A first-out graduate July 20 at Gulfstream, the bay repeated with a 12-1 upset of the GIII With Anticipation S. Aug. 30 at Saratoga and was a good fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Nov. 3 at Del Mar. The Jonathan Thomas trainee shows a pair of middling works over the Belmont training track for this try.
Shadwell Stables homebred Alkhaatam (Tapit) ran in his debut like a horse who will appreciate two turns. Bet down to favoritism as part of an entry, the gray was last, double digits off the leader up the backstretch before coming with a flying finish to be third, beaten less than a length. The runner-up that day, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Triple Dog Dare (Paynter) , re-opposes. The $270,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic buy looks to follow in the footsteps of fellow e Five runner Good Magic (Curlin), who was a maiden before capturing the GI Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
A trio of expensive last-out maiden winners rate upset glances. Tap Rap Strike (Tapit) fetched $875,000 from Cash is King LLC and Leonard Green after breezing a furlong in :10 3/5. The chestnut, out of MGSW Cherokee Queen (Cherokee Run), scored at first asking Oct. 14 at Parx while noticeably green. He'll have to overcome the widest-out 10-post in this affair with a short run to the clubhouse turn.
China Horse Club's Biblical (Tapit), an $800,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate, wheels back in 15 days after scoring over track and trip. Lael Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's Vouch (Yes It's True) hammered for $230,000 as a Keeneland November weanling and made every pole a winning one in an 8 1/4-length romp on debut Oct. 30 at Laurel.
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