VENUE: 12/1 = Decision Pending

[JolyB]

I'd like to express a strong preference for the last big Saturday of racing at Aqueduct before winter sets in. We'll have plenty of time to visit Gulfstream during the winter meeting.

Each of the 4 graded stakes races are significant in their respective divisions. The Cigar Mile has earned its Grade 1 status many times over, and the Remsen is the first time that 2 year olds are asked to travel 1 1/8 miles in stakes competition. The Remsen winner almost always is given serious consideration as one of the early Derby prospects.

I acknowledge that the Gulfstream card has named races with purses exceeding $100,000, but as I look at the race conditions, I see a group of what are really Starter Allowance races for horses that have run in claiming races of a certain level during the year. While I respect these hardknocking claimers, I'd much rather handicap the graded stakes in the North.