2017 Fall Highweight Handicap Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G3 Fall Highweight Handicap comes our way this Thursday, November 23 from Aqueduct in South Ozone Park, New York. A purse of $200,000 will be on the line for horses three years old and upward willing to take to Aqueduct's dirt track and dash six furlongs.

A field of nine will take to the track in the Fall Highweight Stakes - race 8 on Aqueduct's Thanksgiving Thursday card. Post time is 3:20 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all nine combatants for this intriguing holiday Thursday stakes.

2017 Fall Highweight Handicap Entries at Aqueduct

Ready for Rye

Defending third-place finisher - 2015 winner of the G2 Swale Stakes has placed in 17 of 22 career starts for trainer Thomas Albertrani - six wins, five seconds and six third-place finishes. He won two minor stakes races in the summer of 2015 and has been decent since. Last time out was a second in the minor Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational here October 7 after a fifth in the minor Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga September 1 and a sixth in the G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap on that track July 29. Before that was an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Belmont Park June 18, a third in the 2016 Fall Highweight Handicap last November 24, a fifth in the minor Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational last October, a tenth in the G1 Forego Stakes in August, 2016 and consecutive thirds - the G3 Belmont Sprint Championship last July and the G3 Jaipur Invitational in June of last year. Ready for Rye has been a tad tough to figure out but returns to a more favorable dirt surface Thursday. He will be after a first stakes score in over 2 years - from gate 8 with Luis Saez aboard.

Seymourdini

Has placed in eight of 10 career starts for trainer Linda Rice. He arrives off a slightly disappointing fourth in the G3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park October 28 which followed a three-race win streak including the minor State Dinner Stakes by 10 1/2 lengths with a 113 Beyer Speed Figure at Belmont Park and two Allowance Optional Claiming races. Before that was a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Parx in December and a seventh in his only other graded stakes action to date - the G2 Woody Stephens Stakes on this track in June, 2016. Seymourdini hasn't looked great in stakes company yet despite being competitive against lesser competition. He hopes to finally snap that trend on a track he's won both of his career starts - from the outside post 9 Thursday. Jose Ortiz gets the call.

Stallwalkin' Dude

Defending runner-up in this race - David Jacobson trained millionaire gelding has 19 wins (seven stakes), nine seconds and nine third place finishes in 58 career starts and enters in so-so form. He has four wins, five seconds and two third-place finishes in his last 13 starts overall. Last time out was a second in the G3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park October 28 which followed a third in the G1 Vosburgh Stakes on that track September 30, an eighth after tiring in the G1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga August 26 and a win in the minor Tale of the Cat Stakes on that track August 11. Before that was a fourth in the G2 Belmont Sprint Championship July 8, a second in the G2 True North Stakes here June 9, a good 1 3/4 length win in the listed Diablo Stakes May 7, a sixth in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan in March and a second in the G3 General George Handicap at Laurel Park February 18. Other results include a win in the minor Gravesend Stakes, a second in the G3 Fall Highweight Handicap and a good win in the 2016 G3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park. Stallwalkin' Dude has been pretty good the last 18 months placing in five of seven stakes starts but will be in search of his first graded stakes win in over a year. Joe Bravo gets the has the mount on the 134-pound highweight from post 3.

Green Gratto

Gaston Grant trainee won the 2015 G3 Fall Highweight Handicap but has been up and down since. He arrives in less-than-spectacular form - a sixth last time out in the G3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park October 28 followed a seventh in the G1 Vosburgh Stakes on that track September 30, another seventh in the G1 Alfred G Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga July 29 and consecutive fifths - the G2 Belmont Sprint Championship July 8 and the G2 True North Stakes June 9. He had a terrific win at 54-1 in the G1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct April 8, a front-running win with a 100 Beyer Speed Figure in the G3 Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct January 16 and an OK second behind Stallwalkin' Dude in the minor Gravesend Stakes on this track at the beginning of 2017 as well. Green Grato has placed in just six of 21 graded stakes tries, has nine wins, nine seconds and eight third place finishes in 59 career starts and has failed to hit the board in his last six ahead of this weekend. Kendrick Carmouche tries to change that trend from gate 6.

Threefiveindia

Chad Brown trained colt has placed in eight of 12 career starts - four wins, two seconds and two third-place finishes. Last time out was a fourth in the G2 Ogden Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland October 6 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Saratoga August 26, a second, a fourth and a third in a trio of similar races earlier this year. He ended 2016 with a sixth in the G1 Cigar Mile here in November and a second in the G3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park last October. Threefiveindia has been OK but has yet to record a stakes win. Jockey Javier Castellano will try to get that from gate 4 Thursday.

Schivarelli

Thomas Morley trained gelding has seven wins, three seconds and six third-place finishes in 26 career starts. He arrives off Claiming score on this track November 18 which followed a third in a similar race at Belmont Park October 20 and another Claiming score on that track September 17. He failed to place in his previous three starts including a fifth in the G3 Aristides Stakes June 3 and an eighth in the G2 Churchill Downs Stakes May 5 - both at Churchill Downs. Schivarelli has been good against lesser company lately but has yet to post a stakes win in his career. Jockey John Velazquez is charged with changing his fortunes from post 5 Thursday.

Great Stuff

Has 22 career starts for trainer David Jacobson with six wins, seven seconds and four third-place finishes. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track November 12 which followed a fifth and another win respectively in a pair of similar races in October. He placed in his five previous races as well against lesser competition. Great Stuff has just one stakes start and it resulted in a fifth in the G2 Tampa Bay Derby in 2015 but has been competitive in Allowance and Claiming company since. He hopes for a breakthrough in what represent a big step up in competition Thursday - from the rail with Rajiv Maragh aboard.

Hey Jabber Jaw

Robertino Diodoro trained gelding has placed in 13 of 17 career starts - seven wins, four seconds and two third-place finishes. He steps into stakes company for the first time Thursday off a second in an Allowance at Belmont Park October 22, an Allowance Optional Claiming score on that track September 21 and a second in a similar race at Saratoga in August. He placed in three straight Allowance races here at the beginning of 2017 as well with two wins over that span. Hey Jabber Jaw steps up in decent form and shoots for a career-best effort from gate 2. Angel Arroyo gets the call.

Life in Shambles

Steve Asmussen trained gelding has eight wins, six seconds and two third-place finishes in 32 career starts. He arrives off an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Belmont Park October 22 which followed a sixth in a similar race on that track October and consecutive seconds - the best of which coming in the listed Donald LeVine Memorial at Parx September 4. He has just one graded stakes start and it resulted in a fourth in the G3 Toboggan Stakes here in January. Life in Shambles has been just OK in his career and shoots for his best-ever effort from post 7. Irad Ortiz gets the call.

---