Remsen stakes 2025 at a glance

A rare opportunity to be tested around two corners at a distance of 1 1/8 miles awaits a large field of 12 2-year-olds in Saturday’s Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct. The Class 2 stakes have produced a number of top horses in recent years, culminating in the 2023 edition when the winner, Dornoch, won the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets and the runner-up, Sierra Leone, won the 2024 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic and was named Champion 3-Year-Old Males. Qualifying points for the 2026 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve are also at stake, with the top five finishers receiving 10-5-3-2-1 points.

1. Day One Starter (15-1 Morning Line Odds): Looked good and won his second start in a 6 1/2 furlong sprint. Was a fading, distant third last time out in the Nashua Stakes, but could be a factor if he can duplicate his first win.

JOCKEY: Junior Alvarado TRAINER: Shug McGaughey

2. Paladin (3-1): Won his debut via disqualification. But time was running out and there was a five length lead back to the third horse. Should be a major competitor here.

JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Chad Brown

3. I did it (12-1): Was a competitive fourth in the Street Sense, but tired in the final furlong. The extra distance here could work against him.

JOCKEY: Joel Rosario; TRAINER: Mike Maker

4. Crunchiness (20-1): Had a rough trip recently when I came second to a stablemate in a first mile race. As a son of Curlin, he should enjoy the two turns, but he will need to post better speed numbers to be a winning candidate.

JOCKEY: Jaime Rodriguez; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

5. Chambersville (30-1): Has only raced on artificial turf with one win in three attempts. Pedigree doesn’t scream foul, so we pass.

JOCKEY: Christopher Elliott; TRAINER: Ken McPeek

6. Courting (9-2): Beat stablemate Grittiness with an improved effort in his second start. He cost $5 million at auction, so you know there are high expectations for him. He is indispensable in this area.

JOCKEY: John Velázquez; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

7. Igniter (6-1): Has been well rested since his first one mile victory at the end of September. Continued improvement could put him in the mix here.

JOCKEY: Manny Franco; TRAINER: Rick Dutrow

8. Concarneau (50-1): Shows one good effort and two bad ones in three career starts. Others are more attractive.

JOCKEY: Mychel Sanchez; TRAINER: Maria Motory

9. Defector (5-1): He finished ahead of Paladin, but was disqualified for running into that rival. With extra distance he took a step forward and as a son of Into Mischief, the two corners should not be a problem.

JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

10. Balboa (12-1): Started his career with Bob Baffert in California, but after two disappointing attempts at graded stakes he was sent east to trainer Brittany Russell. Was an easy winner of a Laurel sprint stakes in his first race for his new trainer, but faces a much bigger challenge here.

JOCKEY: Ricardo Santana Jr.; TRAINER: Brittany Russel

11. Talk (5-1): Was selected for this race in lieu of the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by TAA after finishing second in the Champagne Stakes on October 4. He looks fit and ready for the challenge here, although post position is a concern in such a large field of young horses.

JOCKEY: Kendrick Carmouche; TRAINER: Danny Gargan

12. Probably dreams (15-1): Winning wouldn’t be a daydream of a record of three wins and a second in four career starts. Was second in the Nashua Stakes and would be a more attractive prospect with a better post position.

JOCKEY: Carlos Lopez; TRAINER: Gary Capuano

THE CHOICE: Paladin

LIVE LONG SHOT: Probably dreams

SUPERFECT: 2-11-6-9

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