2017 Toboggan Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com – The G3 Toboggan Stakes will be contested this Monday, January 16 at Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, New York. Horses four years old and upward will be featured as they take to Aqueduct’s dirt track and dash six furlongs for the winner’s share of the $125,000 purse.

A field of seven will take to the track in the Toboggan Stakes – race 5 on Aqueduct’s Monday schedule. Post time is 2:20 PM. Let’s take a look into the past performances of all seven combatants for this G3 Monday stakes including the top four finishers of the December 18 Gravesend Stakes on this track.

2017 Toboggan Stakes Entries at Aqueduct Racetrack

Stallwalkin’ Dude – David Jacobson trained gelding has 17 wins, six seconds and seven third place finishes in 48 career starts and enters in very good form having posted four straight triple digit Beyer Speed Figures – three wins, two seconds and a third place finish in his last six starts – all at six furlongs. Last time out was a win in the minor Gravesend Stakes on this track December 18 after a second in the G3 Fall Highweight Handicap on this track November 24 and a good win in the G3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park October 29. Before that was a respectable second with an impressive 103 Beyer Speed Figure in the G1 Vosburgh Stakes here October 1, a decent third in the G1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga August 27 and a win in the minor Tale of the Cat Stakes August 12. Stallwalkin’ Dude has been good lately and will be after his second graded stakes score and second straight stakes win from gate 6 Monday. Irad Ortiz will be in the saddle of the 123 pound highweight.

Green Gratto – Gaston Grant trainee and defending third place finisher in this race also won the 2015 G3 Fall Highweight Handicap on this track but has been up and down since. He arrives off an OK second behind Stallwalkin’ Dude in the minor Gravesend Stakes on this track which followed three straight off-the-board finishes – a fourth in the 2016 Fall Highweight, a fifth in the G3 Bold Ruler Handicap and a seventh in the G1 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park October 1. Before that was an OK second in the minor New Jersey Breeders Handicap at Monmouth Park August 28, a nice win in the minor Hockessin Stakes at Delaware Park July 16 and a couple more unflattering results – a fifth in the G3 Belmont Sprint Championship July 9 and an eleventh in the G3 Jaipur Invitational in June. He has placed in just four of 13 graded stakes tries, has seven wins, nine seconds and eight third place finishes in 50 career starts and arrives in so-so form. Jockey Kendrick Carmouche will try to guide Green Gratto to his first graded stakes score in 14 months – from the rail.

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All Star Red – Rudy Rodriguez trained colt has placed in 10 of 17 career starts – five wins, three seconds and two third place finishes. He enters off a third in the minor Gravesend Stakes here December 18, a sixth in the G3 Fall Highweight Handicap on this track November 24 and a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Belmont Park October 27. His best efforts last year were a second in the G3 Maryland Sprint Handicap at Pimlico in May and an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Belong Park in April. All Star Red will be after his first ever stakes score Saturday and first win overall since April when he leaves from gate 2 with Antonio Gallardo aboard.

Life in Shambles – has 23 career starts for trainer Steve Asmussen with seven wins, three seconds and a third place finish. He makes his graded stakes debut Monday off a fourth in the minor Gravesend Stakes here December 19, an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track November 23 and a second in a similar race at Belmont Park October 27. He also had a three race win streak earlier this summer – two Allowance Optional Claiming and a Waiver Claiming. Life in Shambles has had success against Allowance foes and hopes his step up can produce similar results. Cornelio Velasquez has the mount from the outside post 7.

Story to Tell – Rudy Rodriguez trainee has six wins, three seconds and four third place finishes in 22 career starts. His only graded stakes action came back in 2014 when he finished sixth in the G2 Best Pal Stakes and eighth in the G3 Bob Hope Stakes – he hasn’t raced in stakes company since. He does enter in decent form however – a Starter Allowance score with a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure last time out followed a win in a Claiming race November 23 – both on this track. Before that was a third, a sixth, a fourth and a second respectively in Allowance Optional Claiming races this past summer. Story to Tell has been good against lesser company and hopes to make a little noise in his step up from post 3. Angel Arroyo rides.

Classy Class – has 12 career starts for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin with three wins and three third place finishes. He has seven graded stakes starts with a pair of thirds (the G3 Withers Stakes and G3 Gotham Stakes in 2015) being the best results. He enters off a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track November 23 which followed a fourth in a similar race at Belmont Park October 27 and 13 months away from the track. Before the layoff was a tenth in the 2015 G3 Oklahoma Derby and an ugly ninth in the King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga August 29 of that year. Classy Class has placed in just one of his last four starts overall and shoots for his first stakes win in 15 months – from post 5 with Rajiv Maragh guiding him.

The Great War – Wesley Ward pupil finished fourth in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and twelfth in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. He hasn’t been great the last 15 months or so – failing to place in six of seven starts. Last time out was a fifth in the G3 Fall Highweight Handicap here November 24 which followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Keeneland October 28, a fifth in the G2 Ogden Phoenix Stakes October 7, another fifth in the G3 Vigil Stakes at Woodbine in May and an eleventh in the G2 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland in April. The Great War won a couple of listed stakes in 2014/2015 but hasn’t looked close to that form of late. John Velazquez has been tabbed with changing his fortunes around when they leave from gate 4 Monday.

2017 Toboggan Stakes Odds & Entries

Race 5 on Aqueduct’s Monday card with a Post Time of 2:20 PM.