Fall Highweight Handicap 2015 at Aqueduct

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - Aqueduct in Queens, New York will play host to the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap on Thursday, November 28. Horses three years old and upward will take to Aqueduct's dirt track and dash six furlongs searching for the winner's share of the $250,000 purse.

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

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2015 Fall Highweight Handicap Race Favorites

La Verdad - impressive Linda Rice trained mare has 15 wins and three second pace finishes in 23 career starts. Last time out was an OK second in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint which followed two straight wins - the minor Iroquois Stakes October 24 and the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap in September. Her worst career effort came in the 2014 edition of this race - a seventh place finish but he went on to three straight wins including the Grade 2 Distaff Handicap here in April and the Grade 3 Vagrancy Handicap in May. La Verdad has been mighty impressive in her career and has five wins and a second place finish in her last seven starts overall. Jose Ortiz gets the call hoping to keep the impressive results going for La Verdad against the boys in what possibly may be her last career race - from the outside post 7.

Salutos Amigos - defending champion in this race followed that win with three more scores - the minor Gravesend Stakes here in December, the Grade 3 Toboggan Stakes and the Grade 3 Toboggan Stakes in March. He enters off a respectable fifth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint which followed a second in the Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes in September and two straight off-the-board finishes in graded stakes action. Salutos Amigos now has 10 wins, three seconds and four third place finishes but will be out to snap a four race losing streak from gate 6. Irad Ortiz has the mount on the 134 pound highweight.

Fall Highweight Handicap 2015 | Remaining Contenders

Palace - 2013 winner of this race - multiple graded stakes winner and Linda Rice trainee was at his best in 2014 when he won the Grade 2 True North Stakes in June, the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap and the Grade 1 Forego Stakes - both in August of that year. He looks for his first graded stakes score since then and enters off a third in the minor Frank J. Francis Memorial Dash November 14 a win in the minor Hudson Handicap October 24 and a fourth in the Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes in September. He now has 12 wins, five seconds and five third place finishes in 28 career starts and looks to regain the form he had last year - from gate 2 with Cornelio Velasquez guiding him.

Pulling G's - John Shirreffs-trained gelding has just 10 career starts with four wins and three second place finishes. He makes his stakes debut Thursday having won three of his last five starts - all Allowance Optional Claiming races with a seventh and a DNF in similar races sandwiched in there. Pulling G's takes a huge step up in competition in so-so form from post 3 with Manuel Franco aboard.

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Captain Serious - Michael Hushion trained gelding has placed in 10 of 15 career starts - five wins, two seconds and three third place finishes. He finished third in this race last year and went on to two straight wins - the minor Hollie Hughes Stakes in January and an Allowance in April - both wins on this track. He enters off a second in the minor Hudson Handicap at Belmont Park October 24 after a fourth in the minor Affirmed Success Stakes in May. He has two minor stakes scores in his career but looks for his first win in graded stakes company - from the rail with Junior Alvarado in the saddle.

Fabulous Kid - has five wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in 18 career starts or trainer David Jacobsen. He finished fifth in his only graded stakes action to date - the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park in July. He has won two of his last three starts ahead of this Thursday - both Allowance Optional Claiming races with the last one coming on this track November 18. Fabulous Kid looks for his first stakes score from gate 4 Thursday. Javier Castellano rides.

Green Gratto - has just four wins in 35 career starts to go along with six seconds and six third place finishes. He looks for his first stakes score Saturday off a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming here November 18, a fourth in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap October 31 and a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming in September. He has placed in two of four graded stakes tries - none since a second in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap in April. He has raced 10 times the last seven months and hasn't been worse than fourth in any. Green Gratto has been OK but looks to take that next step from post 5 with Kendrick Carmouche in the reins.


2015 Fall Highweight Handicap Entries & Odds

Race 8 on Aqueduct's Thursday card with a Post Time of 3:20 PM.

Entry Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Captain Serious Junior Alvarado Michael Hushion
2 Palace Cornelio Velasquez Linda Rice
3 Pulling G's Manuel Franco John Shirreffs
4 Fabulous Kid Javier Castellano David Jacobson
5 Green Gratto Kendrick Carmouche Gaston Grant
6 Salutos Amigos Irad Ortiz, Jr. David Jacobson
7 La Verdad Jose Ortiz Linda Rice