Classicist seeks first stakes score in Listed $150K Excelsior

St. Elias Stable’s Kentucky homebred Classicist will look to secure a first career stakes win in Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Excelsior, a 10-furlong route for older horses, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Excelsior, slated as Race 3, is one of five stakes on a blockbuster card headlined by the 101st running of the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino [Race 12], a nine-furlong route for sophomores offering 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Also on the docket are the Grade 2, $300,000 Carter presented by NYRA Bets [Race 6], the Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle [Race 11] – a 100-50-25-15-10 qualifier for the Kentucky Oaks, and the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff [Race 10]. First post on the 12-race program is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

Classicist [post 4, Manny Franco, blinkers ON] has made each of his last three outings in nine-furlong events, graduating at third asking in July at Saratoga Race Course and following with a nose score here in a September allowance versus elders. The 4-year-old Curlin chestnut made his seasonal debut last out when a 1 3/4-length second to multiple graded stakes-placed returning rival Yo Daddy on February 4 here.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said the talented chestnut, who adds blinkers, should appreciate stretching out in distance.

“We really think he's going to like the mile and a quarter. He's coming off a good race and we're looking forward to getting that extra furlong with him,” Pletcher said. “He's got the ability to keep clipping off those 12-second eighths and that's why we feel the mile and a quarter will suit him well. Like a lot of the Curlins, they tend to improve as they age and mature a bit.”

Classicist, out of the Street Cry mare Playtime, is a half-brother to the Pletcher-trained Grade 2-winner Jouster. His second dam is 2002 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Storm Flag Flying, while his third dam is My Flag and fourth dam is Hall of Famer Personal Ensign, the 13-for-13 great for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey and subsequent Reine-De-Course broodmare.

Winning Move Stable’s Yo Daddy [post 6, Jose Lezcano] has banked a field-best $508,459 via a 23-7-6-5 ledger.

Trained by Linda Rice, the 5-year-old Yoshida bay was haltered for $50,000 from a winning effort in April 2024 at Keeneland and has hit the board in 13-of-16 starts since, including Grade 3 placings in the Saranac [2nd] on turf in August 2024 at the Spa and on the main track in the local Westchester [3rd] in May and off-the-turf Belmont Gold Cup [2nd] in June at the Spa to close out his 2025 campaign.

Yo Daddy, out of the winning Tale of the Cat mare Elle Stormin’, returned to action on February 4 here with the aforementioned score over Classicist and followed last out with runner-up effort in the local Listed Stymie traveling a one-turn mile on February 28.

“We’ve got two races in him off the layoff,” Rice said. “The mile in the Stymie was a little short for him, but we thought, ‘eh, let’s give it a go – where else are we going to go?’ He got a nice check there, so we’ll move on to the Excelsior at this point. I think that’s a more favorable distance for him.”

BellaBlue Racing Stable’s Otello [post 7, Ramon Vazquez] will look to earn his second career stakes win while cutting back in distance from a third-place finish in the 12-furlong restricted Pig Trail on March 1 at Oaklawn Park.

Otello, a 5-year-old Curlin chestnut, launched his career with the late Christophe Clement and won his first two career starts, graduating in a local one-turn mile in November 2023 ahead of a half-length victory in the Listed Mucho Macho Man in January 2024 at Gulfstream Park. He added a 1 3/16-mile optional-claiming score to his ledger here in April in his final outing for Christophe Clement.

Otello sold for $105,000 at Keeneland November Sale and made his seasonal debut for trainer Rob Atras in January with an off-the-board effort at Oaklawn Park. He has since made two starts for trainer Wayne Potts at the Arkansas oval, taking a 1 1/16-mile optional-claimer on Valentine’s Day over sloppy and sealed footing ahead of his aforementioned distant 13 3/4-length third in the Pig Trail to the victorious graded stakes-winner Batten Down.

Otello subsequently shipped back to the care of Atras at Belmont Park.

“He shipped up just over a week ago,” Atras said. “He didn't run bad last time. The mile and a quarter should suit him. He's one-paced but has a high cruising speed and can carry it quite a ways.”

Otello, out of the multiple graded stakes-winning Eskendereya mare Isabella Sings, worked a half-mile in 51.66 seconds Sunday over the Belmont Park dirt training track. He has banked $309,933 via a 14-4-1-2 ledger.

David Staudacher and Paradise Farms Corp.’s Interceptor [post 3, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] arrives from a frontrunning score over course and distance on March 7 here.

The 4-year-old Authentic gelding was haltered for $50,000 by trainer Mike Maker out of a neck third in a one-turn mile on December 11 here. He has hit the board in each of his three starts since, including a troubled third in a one-turn mile allowance on New Year’s Day before stretching out to nine furlongs on February 6 and gutting out a nose allowance win ahead of his last out score.

Interceptor, a $130,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the Tapit mare Sweet Assassin – a full-sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Cupid and a half-sister to graded stakes-winners Heart Ashley and Ashley’s Kitty.

Also entered are multiple stakes-placed Omaha Omaha [post 2, Jaime Rodriguez] for conditioner Michael Gorham; stakes-placed Over and Ollie [post 5, Paco Lopez] for trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr.; and stakes-placed Stowaway [post 1, Joe Ramos] for trainer Whit Beckman. 

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