Betting the Great White Way Stakes

An excellent field of 10 juveniles bred in the Empire State will go postward in Saturday’s lucrative, $500,000 Great White Way S at Aqueduct. One of two exciting Stallion Series tilts on the card, the seven-furlong dash on the dirt attracted multiple promising youngsters in what promises to be a thrilling heat. 

Great White Way Wagers

• $15 win and place #7 Man In Finance ($30)
• $3 exacta key box 7 with 2,5 ($12)
• 10-cent superfecta 2,7 with 1,2,5,7,9,10 with 1,2,5,7,9,10 with 1,2,5,7,9,10 ($12)

From a value perspective, I like the chances of the Danny Gargan-trained #7 Man In Finance (5-1) to have a big impact on the outcome of the event. The $62,000 yearling purchase debuted on the oval on September 21 and was very professional in dusting his foes by 7 3/4 widening lengths while registering a healthy 95 Brisnet Speed figure in the process. 

By solid regional sire Central Banker, the gelding went off favored in the subsequent Notebook S. and checked in fourth after chasing the very impressive Shoot It True. The April foal has out in a maintenance four-furlong drill in preparation for Saturday, and he gets off the rail and outside a few of his major foes, as well. Regular jockey Luis Rivera Jr. retains the mount. 

Unbeaten two-time stakes winner #2 Sacrosanct (9-5) is the one to beat for conditioner Brad Cox. The $260,000 juvenile purchase is 2-for-2 on the strip, he possesses good early speed, and I also like the cutback in distance following his one-mile endeavor most recently, as well. The Honest Mischief colt comes in fresh with a quartet of half-mile morning moves in advance of the race, and he will be a menacing figure with even modest improvement beneath Manny Franco. 

#5 Bold Fortune (5-2), one of two in the dash for conditioner George Weaver, has decimated his competition in two straight led by a wire-to-wire romp in the Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes. The Central Banker gelding broke his maiden by 10 1/2 lengths in his prior run on the surface and has earned Brisnet Speed numbers of 98 and 99 as of late. Dylan Davis will be in the silks. 

I’m not sure if it was the removal of blinkers, or the move to the lawn, but the Carlos Martin-trained #1 Friend Ofthe Devil (20-1) showed huge improvement in a recent maiden triumph and I have to use him to some extent. The Honest Mischief colt was very impressive in his victory and will be sent hard from the start from his rail post. He could be dangerous at a big price.

Gargan’s #9 National Identity (12-1) and Weaver’s #10 Soontobeking (6-1) will also be included in some of my plays.