Scratches have nearly destroyed the upcoming Discovery at Aqueduct, but there is still a pretty significant storyline coming into and ultimately exiting this race - and it revolves around GRONKOWSKI (6) for Chad Brown. Gronk made a flashy North American debut in the Belmont Stakes, finishing second behind Triple Crown winner Justify; since then, Gronk has been a massive disappointment, being soundly defeated in both the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup. Today’s race may only have four horses, but this race is still a major crossroads for Gronkowski - a strong effort reignites the idea that he could develop into a serious older horse next year, while another flop would continue him on a path of mediocrity.

For what it’s worth, I like PLAINSMAN (3) to win this afternoon.