Denied late by a neck in the 2016 renewal of the Fall Highweight H. (G3), Stallwalkin’ Dude will attempt to make amends in the traditional Thanksgiving feature at Aqueduct while carrying the same 134-pound impost.
A veteran of 58 starts, with 19 career wins, Stallwalkin’ Dude enters the six-furlong, $200,000 contest in strong form, having finished third in the Vosburgh (G1) and a close second in the Bold Ruler H. (G3) during the Belmont fall meet.
Another veteran of last year’s Fall Highweight, third-place finisher Ready for Rye, will be making just his fifth start of the season on Thursday and carrying two pounds less than a year ago. The Tom Albertrani trainee was most recently second to Disco Partner in the $147,000 Belmont Turf Sprint.
“His running style shows he can do it [multiple] ways,” Albertrani said. “Last year he seemed to be getting a little outrun, but this year, I’ve been seeing him putting himself a little closer in his races and I think that’s where he’s most effective, where he’s up towards the front end instead of too far back.”
Green Gratto, last seen at the Big A registering a 54-1 upset of the Carter H. (G1) in April, should like the return to Queens, where he has two wins and three seconds from nine outings. He’s been unplaced in all six starts since the Carter, though, and will be long odds to take this meet’s premier sprint.
Multiple Grade 3-placed Threefiveindia won a Saratoga allowance by three lengths on Travers Day before finishing fourth in the Phoenix (G2) at Keeneland, beaten less than a length. Among those looking to benefit from relatively light imposts are recent allowance winners Life in Shambles and Great Stuff.
The holiday card also features the $150,000 Winter Memories, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for three-year-old fillies. Trainer Chad Brown will send out his Commonwealth Oaks (G3) one-two Rymska and Taperge, who were separated by less than a length in the nine-furlong test at Laurel on September 30.
Party Boat and Thais both have group/graded form and and narrowly missed in last month’s $200,000 Pebbles at Belmont. In addition to Party Boat, Graham Motion has also entered I’m Betty G, who’s placed in the Commonwealth Oaks and Valley View (G3) in her last two.
