(Friday, December 4) A competitive field of nine fillies and mares take center stage at Aqueduct on Saturday in the 16th running of the $65,000 Garland of Roses Handicap.

Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out a pair of runners, and they both have performed well on the inner track.

Distorted Passion has landed in the exacta in all four trips on the inner surface including a pair of stakes wins, taking the Correction Handicap in January and the Foli Stakes last December.

Pletcher’s main jockey John Velazquez has the call on the four year old daughter of Distorted Humor and is my top pick in the race.

Pletcher also sends out Awesome Ashley, who is a two time stakes winner on the inner track. The five year old mare won the Feel the Beat Stakes in February and the Plankton Stakes in January.

Rosie Napravnik gets the return ride, having ridden the mare to a runner up finish last out in the In Her Glory Stakes on Nov. 11.

The barns of two suspended trainers each have runners in the race. Juan Rodriguez is the top assistant for Richard Dutrow, and is the named trainer for By the Light, who makes her first start since June.

Kiaran McLaughlin was handed a 30 day suspension by Churchill Downs officials for a trio of drug positives. His top assistant Arthur Magnunson will saddle the speedy Saarlight, who is making her first start since June.

There is a 80% chance of rain this afternoon in the New York area, which bodes well with my top pick Distorted Passion, who has not raced on an off track in her 16 career starts, but certainly has the pedigree to handle the off going.

Let’s head out to the Big A for today’s featured race of the day:

Aqueduct Race 8 Garland of Roses Handicap Post time 3:44 ET

#3 Distorted Passion 8/1
#5 Lady Alexander 5/1
#4 By the Light 6/1
#1 Saarlight 5/2

#3 Distorted Passion tracked the early pace form the rail and had no response late in a fourth place finish in the In Her Glory Stakes last out., her first start off a seven-month layoff. The filly figures to be tighter for her second start off the bench and the return to the inner should suit. She won back to back stakes on the inner track, both coming from off the pace. This race is top heavy with speed, which should set things up nicely for her late run. There is rain in the forecast and while she has not competed on a wet track, she is bred top and bottom to handle off going.

#5 Lady Alexander went gate to wire to win the Honey Bee Stakes going two turns, a race that Lopez basically just stole on the front end. The filly now cuts back to a sprint here for her third start of her current form cycle. Her other three wins have come sprinting and two of her wins have come on wet tracks. The barn is 19% winners moving runners form route to sprint.

#4 By the Light is making her first start since June for the Dutrow barn, with his top assistant Rodriguez the named trainer while he is on a 30 day forced vacation. The filly has won 10 of her 17 career starts including a pair of scores on the inner track. Both of her wins on the inner were stakes wins and her loss was to our top pick by a neck in the Foli Stakes last December. The barn can win off the bench and is not showing any signs of slowing down, winning with 5 of 16 starters since JRod took over.

Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 8/1 or better.
EX: 3,5 / 1,3,4,5
TRI: 3,5 / 1,3,4,5 / 1,3,4,5,9