2017 Go For Wand Handicap Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com – Aqueduct in South Ozone Park, New York will play host to the G3 Go For Wand Handicap on Saturday, December 2. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will line up on Aqueduct’s dirt track and race one mile for the winner’s portion of the $200,000 purse.

A competitive field of seven will take to the track in the Go for Wand Handicap – race 6 on Aqueduct’s stacked Saturday schedule. Post time is 2:06 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all seven combatants for this intriguing G3 stakes.

2017 Go For Wand Handicap Entries at Aqueduct

Highway Star

Defending champion in this race – lightly raced Rodrigo Ubillo trained filly has eight wins, a second and two third-place finishes in her 14 career starts. She enters off a disappointing eleventh in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint November 4 which followed a good win in the G2 Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park September 24, a second in the G1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga August 26, an OK third in the G1 Ogden Phipps Stake at Belmont Park June 10 and a nice two race win streak – the G2 Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park May 13 and the G3 Distaff Stakes at Aqueduct April 9. She also had a two-race win streak to end 2016 – the 2016 Go for Wand Handicap and the minor New York Stallion Series Stakes on that track November 13. Highway Star has won five of her last nine starts overall (all stakes) and has placed in five of six graded stakes races ahead of this weekend. She shoots for a major bounce back Saturday on a track she’s won all four starts and at a distance she’s gone 4-for-4 when she leaves from gate 2 with Angel Arroyo aboard the 123-pound highweight.

Verve’s Tale

Has placed in 12 of 16 career starts for trainer Barclay Tagg – three wins, seven seconds and two third place finishes. She enters this week off a decent second in the G3 Turnback the Alarm Handicap at Belmont Park October 28 which followed a fourth in the G1 Beldame Stakes on that track September 30, a win in the minor $100,000 Summer Colony Stakes at Saratoga August 20, a fifth in the G1 Ogden Phipps Stakes June 10, a fourth in the G2 Ruffian Stakes May 13, a decent second in the G2 Top Flight Invitational Stakes here April 2 and a fourth in the G2 Royal Delta Stakes at Gulfstream Park February 18. Before that was a two-race win streak – the G3 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct last November in her stakes debut and a MSW at Keeneland in October, 2016 and four straight runner-up finishes in MSW races. Verve’s Tale has been OK so far in her career and will be after a second stakes score in four starts Saturday with John Velazquez guiding her from post 5.

Lucy N Ethel

Lightly raced Todd Pletcher trained filly has seven career starts and five wins. She arrives off a win in the minor Pumpkin Pie Stakes on this track November 5, a sixth in the G2 Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park September 24, 10 months away from the track and a disappointing twelfth in the G2 Lexus Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland last October. She started her career with four nice wins – in the G2 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga with a 100 Beyer Speed Figure last September 4, nine months away and victories in the Grade 3 Old Hat Stakes at Gulfstream Park January 2, 2016 an Allowance score at Parx in December, 2016 and a maiden score at first asking at Parx in November of 2015. Lucy N Ethel has been decent in her career and will chase a second straight stakes score (first in 14 months) from gate 4. Jose Ortiz rides.

Indulgent

Has 11 career starts for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin with three wins, three seconds and a third-place finishes. She finished an OK second in her graded stakes debut – the G3 Distaff Handicap here in April but hasn’t been great in five starts since. Last time out was an OK second in the minor Pumpkin Pie Stakes on this track November 5 which followed a sixth in the G2 Presque Isle Downs Masters September 18 and a third in the minor Shine Again Stakes at Saratoga August 2. Before that was an eighth in the G3 Bed o’ Roses Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park June 9 and a fifth in the G2 Ruffian Stakes on that track May 13. Indulgent tries for a first stakes win but arrives in so-so form. Luis Saez has been tabbed to ride from the outside post 7.

Jamyson `n Ginger

Chad Brown trained filly has hit the board in six of eight career starts – three wins, two seconds and a third-place finish. She finished an OK fifth in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and has been competitive in four starts since. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track November 9 which followed an Allowance score at Belmont Park September 10, a second in an Allowance on that track June 1 and an OK second in the G2 Demoiselle Stakes here last November. Jamyson `n Ginger has been decent in her career but has yet to post a stakes win. Javier Castellano will try to accomplish that goal from the rail.

Going for Broke

Lightly raced Chad Brown trained filly has placed in eight of 10 career starts – three wins, four seconds and a third-place finish. She enters off a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Belmont Park September 28, a fourth in the G1 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga August 26 and an OK second in the minor Shine Again Stakes here August 2. Before that was nine months away, a third in the G3 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct November 26 and a fifth in the G1 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park October 1. She also posted a respectable second to Songbird in the G1 Alabama Stakes last August and two straight Allowance scores in the summer of 2016. Going for Broke has been competitive but has yet to post a stakes win in her career. Irad Ortiz will try to change all of that from post 3.

Flora Dora

Finished second in the 2015 G3 Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct November 4 but has placed in just four of 14 starts since. Last time out was a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming here November 9 after another fourth in the G3 Bed o’ Roses Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park June 9 – her only two starts of 2017. Before the layoff was another fourth in the G3 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct November 26, 2016, an OK second in the G3 Turnback the Alarm Handicap at Belmont Park last October, a tenth in an Allowance Optional Claiming last September and a third behind Songbird in the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga July 2, 2016. In 2015, she posted a good win in the minor Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct January 31, 2016. Flora Dora has shown form in the past but has looked just average the last couple of years. She looks for a major breakthrough and to snap a 11-race losing streak Saturday with Michael Luzzi in the reins from gate 6.