Four graded stakes on tap at Aqueduct today, headlined by the Grade 1 Cigar Mile. Off the turf for race 3 but the others remain on courses rated 'good.' Supporting stakes are the Remsen and Demoiselle for 2yos and the Go for Wand for fillies and mares. 

The Cigar has a field of eight with no scratches. Mendelssohn is the ML favorite breaking from the rail as he looks for his first win since destroying the UAE Derby back in March. I'll give him some credit for running his best races in his last couple of starts, though I personally didn't think he ran that great in either the JCGC or the Breeders' Cup. He certainly ran well in those races, but to me, those efforts were nothing special. Perhaps turning back to the mile works for him but I'm against. 

I'm going with Copper Town despite the obvious obstacles. He is a very talented colt who looked quite good in his return from the long layoff at Keeneland, where he won easily with a good figure despite breaking slowly and getting a wide trip. To me, he is perhaps the most talented colt in the race, and it's not like there is anyone else I want to bet. 

Sunny Ridge is the other horse for me. I don't like his 2018 form overall but he is the one I want out of the Kelso, as he was compromised by pace and trip in that race. 

The Grade 2 Remsen came up weak after a couple of major defections and appears now to be a two horse race on paper. Maximus Mischief ships in from Parx and stretches out after winning his first two career starts without taking a deep breath. He is getting a test today, but it's not a big of a test as it could have been and he looks like the controlling speed on the stretch out. Network Effect is the other horse and a serious one at that. I liked his debut win at Saratoga, especially the way he finished it off, and thought he ran well while only second best in the Nashua last time. I don't want to worry about his pedigree right now, though that may be something that catches up with him down the line, and think he is a must use in this race. 

The others are harder to make cases for, though Bourbon War has upside and Jungle Warrior seems like a real wildcard switching surfaces and shipping to NY for this. 

The Grade 2 Demoiselle, for 2yo fillies, is set for nine furlongs with a field of seven. Enliven is the clear horse to beat following her runnerup effort in the Tempted last time with a Beyer of 86. That race followed up an easy maiden win with a 75. Those two figures are both better than anything her six rivals have managed so far, and she is perfectly drawn on the rail. She is also bred to go long as a daughter of It's Tricky and a sister to Enticed. So why do I want to bet against her? Personally, I just don't think she's that good - at least right now. She is clearly the horse to beat in this field, and I have to use her, but I'll take a shot in this race with Positive Spirit. 

Positive Spirit had all the best of it when breaking her maiden last time while up on a slow pace, but I liked her race two back when moving early to take over around two turns at Keeneland. She couldn't hold on late but that was a good effort and she is my alternative to the favorite. 

Filly Joel also improved stretching out last time, though she beat a weak field. Molto Bella has improved in every start so far and she just finished 2nd with a new top figure in the Rags to Riches at Churchill, though I worry about her pedigree for this distance. 

The Grade 3 Go for Wand is perhaps the most interesting of the stakes from a wagering perspective. It may be as simple as Marley's Freedom shipping in for Baffert as the best horse and winning at a short price, but I found it hard to just concede to her after her effort in the Breeders' Cup FM Sprint last time. She was wide and out-paced in that race, but those didn't seem sufficient excuses for her performance. Clearly, if she returns with one of her better races she's likely too good, but I wanted to try to beat her. 

My idea was to try to get Browse to step up. She is a well-bred filly who started out with some real potential for Shug before failing to pan out, though she did catch several wet tracks along the way. It briefly looked like she was going to develop into a nice turf filly last year, but it turns out that that isn't really her surface. She has made one dirt start this year, in a race rained off the grass at Saratoga at 5.5 furlongs, and she galloped in that spot. In this field, aside from Marley's Freedom's best race, she is far from overmatched and she will be a price. 

Video previews for all of these races with Dan Illman and myself are available at DRF.com. First post coming up at 11:30 ET.