Month: December 2024

Race of the Day: 2024 Kris Kringle Stakes

My hopes for the Queens County Stakes at Aqueduct over the weekend were completely dashed when five horses scratched. The field quickly morphed from interesting to embarrassingly short-staffed. Then, I spied this ridiculously named stakes race on the Tuesday card at Parx and a few questions were answered.

The Kris Kringle Stakes seems to be the event some trainers considered a backup to the Queens County. Two horses I really liked over the weekend, Surface to Air and Repo Rocks, were entered in both fields and seemed to scratch at Aqueduct when that field came up tough on a sloppy track. It’s a practical move by the trainers, but it was a little disappointing as a fan. I shouldn’t have to chase these cool horses all over the country, and yet, that seems to be exactly what I’m doing. read more

Race of the Day: 2024 Queens County Stakes

I don’t go to Aqueduct often enough. It would be easy to blame the powers that be for not putting any money into the place, but that’s a poor excuse. The fact that I can take the subway to see horse racing and consistently neglect the option is squarely on me. It’s something I should rectify, as this year’s Queens County Stakes demonstrates that there’s still some excellent racing on display in Ozone Park.

Of course, I can always write for Paddy’s Picks. Sometimes, I just find a race I like and this year’s Queens County Stakes fits that bill. It’s a really well-composed field, featuring an army of talented allowance runners and some classier types trying to pick up a quick check. It struck me as the perfect Sunday afternoon race, and I’d love to share it with all of you. Let’s get to business. read more