At Aqueduct on Saturday, Pirate Rick will be stepping into graded stakes company for the very first time and will be trying to snaffle the treasure from last year’s winner Drafted. Here our 2023 Toboggan Stakes Betting Preview.
The Toboggan Stakes
Grade 3 – Purse $150,000 – 7 Furlongs – Dirt – 4-Year-Olds and Up
We have nine runners set to go to post on Saturday at 3.28 pm Eastern Time and of course, we have Pirate Rick who is going for the five-timer.
He produced a career-best Beyer number last time, and the 104 figure is the standout in this field. He ticks nearly all the boxes here being a course winner (2 from 3) at Aqueduct and has blazing early speed and will look to go gate to wire in this.
He is the likely chalk here but is stretching out to 7 furlongs, so has to prove his stamina.
Three Two Zone has some solid back form with a 101 Beyer to his name and was clearly outclassed two back in the Grade 1 Forego Stakes. He was beaten by a couple of these as the chalk last time but takes a stretch out back to seven furlongs, which will suit.
Two that finished in front of Three Two Zone last time were Drafted and Little Vic.
Drafted came out on top in that battle, closing from way back to get up on the wire, and he is back here defending his crown after taking this race last year. He has hit the board six times in ten starts at Aqueduct and will be difficult to keep off the board here.
Little Vic had won his previous two runs prior to losing out to Drafted last time and he’ll be one of those along with Pirate Rick who will be on or close to the speed.
Wendell Fong looks to have his work cut out here having been beaten by Repo Rocks last time and was also well behind Drafted when they met in the Mr Prospector Stakes last year.
Repo Rocks was second behind Drafted in this race last year when beaten more than four lengths, and was also beaten by that rival in the Grade b3 Run Happy Stakes back in May last year. His two recent runs have been strong though, with good Beyer figures and he should be competing for share underneath.
The seven-year-old, Synthesis, has been in good form, hitting the board in seven of his last eight starts, including four wins. However, he looks outclassed against these foes.
Of the others, both Double Crown and Milton The Monster have chances, and the latter could well be one that can grab a share at a big price on the boards.
2023 Toboggan Stakes Odds & Betting Pick
| HORSE | JOCKEY | ODDS BY JAZZSPORTS |
| Three Two Zone | Dylan Davis | +800 |
| Pirate Rick | Jose Antonio Gomez | +300 |
| Drafted | Luis A. Rodriguez Castro | +400 |
| Wendell Fong | Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. | +1500 |
| Double Crown | J. D. Acosta | +2000 |
| Repo Rocks | Andrew Wolfsont | +450 |
| Milton the Monster | Manuel Franco | +800 |
| Little Vic | Carlos Olivero | +350 |
| Synthesis | Gokhan Kocakaya | +1000 |
No doubt this is a tight race, and with Pirate Rick sure to set a strong pace, this will set up nicely for last year’s winner Drafted who may well be sent off the chalk and should hit the board.
Both of those hold strong chances, but at much bigger odds, MILTON THE MONSTER gets the vote to cause an upset. He was just over three lengths behind Drafted in The Mr. Prospector, but stumbled and was bumped early. He closed late that day and has a solid shot at this pot.
Repo Rocks and Three Two Zone should be battling for a slice underneath.
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