Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap is on tap for this Saturday, March 2 from Aqueduct Race Track in the great state of New York. Horses three years old and upward will be after their share of the $200,000 purse when they dash seven furlongs on Aqueduct's dirt track.

The Tom Fool Handicap has attracted a strong field of 10 for race 9 on Aqueduct's stacked Saturday card. Post time is 4:34 PM. Let's take a brief glance into the past performances of all 10 entries ahead of this Grade 3 stakes.

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2013 Tom Fool Handicap Race Favorites

Comma to the Top - Grade 1 winner and Peter Miller trained gelding has won three of his last seven starts and has four wins and two thirds third in his last nine starts overall. The wins include an Allowance score at Golden Gate on June 9, the minor Pirate's Bounty Stakes at Del Mar September 5, the Big Bear Handicap at Santa Anita October 21 in wire-to-wire fashion and the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes here December 29 again in gate-to-wire style. He has had his share of fourths as well - in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby, the Grade 3 Eddie D, in the Grade 3 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes four back and predictably two back in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes here January 19. Last time out was an OK third in the Grade 2 San Carlos after setting the pace on this track February 23. He ships from California and is one of the favorites for the Tom Fool.

Consortium - Kiaran McLaughlin pupil has just six career starts with two wins, two seconds and a third place finish - the only off-the-board finish coming at the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes in January 2012. Since then he has raced three Allowance Optional Claiming races with a win last time out at this distance here January 19, a second and a third place finish. He will be looking for his first stakes win and enters in good form.

Tom Fool Handicap 2013 | Remaining Field Entries

Head Heart Hoof - Stakes winner and multiple stakes placed Head Heart Hoof is coming off a great win in the Grade 3 Toboggan Stakes here February 2 after a win in the minor True and Blue Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths over Royal Currier here January 9, a third in the Valley Forge Stakes and a win in the Starter Handicap on this track November 21. He has won three of his last four starts and three straight on this track and has to be on the radar for the Tom Fool.

Johannesburg Smile - Todd Pletcher pupil focused on minor stakes races in 2012 racing eight straight while recording a win , a second and three third place finishes - one of those thirds coming the Fourstars Allstar Stakes on this track November 18. Since that time he has recorded a very good second last time out behind Head Heart Hoof in the Grade 3 Toboggan Stakes here February 2 and he won two back over Gallant Fields in an Allowance Optional Claiming January 4 on this track.

Off the Jak - raced 12 times in 2012 with two wins, six seconds and a third place finish. He had an OK second to Bernie the Maestro in the Starter Stakes at Gulfstream December 1 and followed that with a good second in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream December 29. His two starts in 2013 produced a fourth last time out in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint February 2 and a very nice win before that in the Sunshine Millions Sprint January 19.

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Smash - Bob Baffert trained entry raced for the first time in a year and finished fifth in the Grade 3 Vernon Underwood Stakes at Hollywood Park December 2. Before the layoff was a seventh in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita. He has three wins and two second place finishes (including the 2011 Grade 2 Carry Back Stakes) in seven career starts but has finished out of the money since returning from injury.

Be Bullish - multiple stakes winner has an incredible 65 career starts with 12 wins, 19 seconds and 12 third place finishes. Last time out was a third in the minor Hollie Hughes Stakes here February 18 after a fourth in the minor True and Blue Stakes in this track January 9 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score here December 7. He has just one win in 13 months but has placed in seven of 11 starts over that span.

Saturday's Charm - Steve Asmussen trained colt will make his graded stakes debut Saturday after three wins, a second and two third place finishes in eight career starts. He has won a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races in his last four and had a Maiden Claiming victory five back. In his recent minor stakes action Saturday's Charm had a third two back in the True and Blue Stakes here January 9 after a second in the Raymond Earl Stakes three back on this track December 9.

Heart Butte - Todd Pletcher pupil races in graded stakes company for the first time after a third in the minor John B. Campbell Handicap last time out at Laurel Park February 18 and a fourth in the minor Evening Attire Stakes here January 28. He ended 2012 on a four race win streak including a pair of minor stakes races - one coming in the 2011 Edition of the Evening Attire here way back in January 2011.

St Liams Halo - was the Horse of the Year in British Columbia in 2011. He finished a close second to Hudson Landing in the Mount Rainier Stakes on July 22 with Mario Gutierrez in the saddle and went on to a third place finish in the minor S.W Randall Plate Handicap at Hasting in September. His last two starts resulted in a third place finish last time out in an Allowance Optional Claiming here January 4 and a seventh before that in a similar race at Santa Anita in October.


2013 Tom Fool Handicap Entries & Odds

Race 9 on Aqueduct Racetrack's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:34 PM.

Entry Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Be Bullish M. Luzzi D. Jacobson
20-1
2 Comma to the Top J. Rosario P. Miller
3-1
3 Saturday's Charm J. Alvarado S. Asmussen
10-1
4 Johannesburg Smile J. Velazquez T. Pletcher
5-1
5 Heart Butte C. DeCarlo T. Pletcher
20-1
6 Consortium E. Castro K. McLaughlin
8-1
7 St Liams Halo J. Ortiz G. Contessa
30-1
8 Off the Jak W. Martinez S. Parbhoo
6-1
9 Head Heart Hoof C. Velasquez R. Rodriguez
5-1
10 Smash I. Ortiz, Jr. B. Baffert
7-2