2024 Remsen Stakes Contenders at Aqueduct

2024 Remsen Awards Kentucky Derby Points To Top-five Finishers 10-5-3-2-1

Keewaydin (OXO Equine) was an impressive maiden-winner last out and now steps up in class for the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen Stakes, a nine-furlong route for juveniles, at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday, December 7.

The Remsen Stakes awards the top-five finishers with 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points, respectively, towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs. Last year, three Remsen contestants made the Run for the Roses, including Dornoch [10th], Sierra Leone [3rd] and Domestic Product [13th] - all three also won at least one Grade 1 as a sophomore.

The Remsen is slated as Race 7 on Saturday's 10-race card, which also features the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap [Race 9], the Grade 2, $250,0000 Demoiselle Stakes [Race 8], which awards the top-five finishers with 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Oaks, and the Grade 3, $200,000 Go for Wand Stakes [Race 4]. First post is 11:40 a.m. Eastern.

Four-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown will send out Keewaydin [post 5, Dylan Davis] along with Aviator Gui [post 2, Manny Franco]. In last year's Remsen, he saddled future 2024 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic-winner Sierra Leone to a nose defeat to eventual Belmont Stakes-victor Dornoch and Domestic Product to an uncharacteristic seventh.

Keewaydin enters from a second-out graduation which earned a career and field-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure. The Instagrand bay attended the pace under returning rider Dylan Davis in the local seven-furlong October maiden tilt before being ridden out to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

"The distance this early in his career is going to be a little bit of a question mark, but I do like how he is training and galloping out," Brown said. "Big jump from seven [furlongs] to a mile and an eighth, but with the way he's training... I do want to give him a shot and get a nice two-turn race under him before he gets a little bit of a breather. He's got a couple of sprint starts under his belt and ran very fast numbers."

In his victory, Keewaydin avenged a rallying head defeat to next-out Grade 1-placed Tip Top Thomas and Rookie Card in his August debut at Saratoga Race Course.

Bred in Kentucky by Terrazas Thoroughbreds, Keewaydin, out of the Officer mare Nothing But Heart, was a $140,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale. His second dam is multiple stakes winner Formal Miss.

Three Chimneys Farm's Kentucky homebred Aviator Gui graduated second out by one length over next-out winners Cyclone State and Hands of Time in an off-the-turf one-turn mile on September 28 here. The Uncle Mo gray returned on turf in the 1 1/16-mile Listed Awad and finished fourth after being bumped at the start.

"Aviator Gui is more of a steady sort - not quite as fast, but he has a lot of endurance," said Brown. "So, it will be a class test for him. I think he'll appreciate the dirt better - a bit of an experiment last time."

Aviator Gui is out of the Tapit mare Paulistinha, making his second dam Quiet Giant, who produced Hall of Famer Gun Runner and the Brown-trained recent Grade 3 Comely-winner Pretty Ana.

"He's very impressive, and he comes from that same family, and that's one of the best quality dirt families in racing right now. We think he's got a bright future," said Brown. "He's going to have to show that he can step up into this type of class with stakes horses, but distance won't be an issue."

David Hughes' Grade 3-placed Studlydoright [post 4, Xavier Perez] enters from a half-length victory in the one-mile Listed Nashua on November 2 here. Trained by John "Jerry" Robb, the Nyquist chestnut saved ground along the rail in third position before closing between rivals for the win.

The performance earned a career-best 86 Beyer, improving upon a previous best 82 for a 1 3/4-length win in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Tremont in June at Saratoga. He exited that race to finish a one-length runner-up to Mo Plex in the Grade 3 Sanford in July at the Spa.

"I was happy with it," said Robb of the Nashua. "I've been waiting to run long, hoping that is what he wanted and thinking that is what he wanted. The Remsen is even farther, so I'm looking forward to it."

Studlydoright added blinkers for his Nashua score, which came on the heels of a pair of September efforts, including a second in the one-mile off-the-turf Laurel Futurity at its namesake track and an off-the-board finish in the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga.

"I think they helped him quite a bit," Robb said. "He was definitely more aggressive."

LNJ Foxwoods' Kentucky homebred Tux [post 1, Junior Alvarado] was an impressive 3 1/2-length debut winner for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. The Tapit gray stalked the pace and showed plenty of late foot in the 6 1/2-furlong maiden on November 9 here.

Tux earned a 78 Beyer in victory. He is out of the Grade 3-winning Munnings mare Fancy Dress Party, who went 5-for-6 lifetime for LNJ Foxwoods.

Godolphin's Kentucky homebred Poster [post 3, Flavien Prat] is 2-for-2 with both efforts coming on turf. Trained by Eoin Harty, the Munnings chestnut graduated in his one-mile debut in August at Ellis Park ahead of a three-length score at the same distance on October 12 at Keeneland.

Poster is out of the winning Tapit mare Pin Up, who is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-victor Bernardini, who took the 2006 Grade 1 Travers, Preakness and Jockey Club Gold Cup en route to Champion 3 Year Old Colt honors.

Rounding out the field are maiden winners Surfside Moon [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche] for conditioner James Lawrence, II, and Gun Trader [post 7, Francisco Martinez] for owner/trainer Uriah St. Lewis.

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